


Tired of Hiding

by good_mythical_miles



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Depression, Gender Identity, Gender Issues, Hospitalization, M/M, Suicide Attempt, Trans AU, Transgender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2018-05-03
Packaged: 2018-05-18 12:20:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 36,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5928106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/good_mythical_miles/pseuds/good_mythical_miles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Link has been struggling with his gender identity for his whole life, and he's tired of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Suicide attempt  
> (Yes right off the bat I'm sorry)

There had been an obvious heaviness around Link for a few weeks. Anyone near the man could sense it. He seemed tired. Tired of work, most likely. That’s what Rhett assumed. They were extremely busy with the new season of Good Mythical Morning. Between trying to set up deals with new sponsors, coming up with episode ideas, and managing the crew, the two internetainers had a lot on their plates. The overall lack of energy that Link was suffering from was no surprise to Rhett. He knew his longtime friend needed a break.

One day at the studio, Rhett found Link in the small kitchen. “Hey brother,” he greeted him. Link nodded in acknowledgement. “I was wondering if you maybe wanted to go camping this weekend? I know we’ve been super busy, and I just thought it might be nice to go off the grid for a couple of days. What do ya think?”

Link, who had been staring at the floor the entire time, shrugged. “Dunno. I’ll get back to you later.”

“Hey,” Rhett muttered, dropping his voice so that nobody else would be able to hear. “Do you need anything, man?”

“Nope.”

Rhett grumbled. He was frustrated with how difficult Link was being. He just wanted to hang out with him like they did when they were little. For whatever reason, they hadn’t gotten to do anything together outside of work for what felt like ages. Rhett hated it, but he knew he couldn’t force Link to do anything, so he dropped it. “Just let me know,” he muttered, leaving the man to himself again.

Rhett spent the next couple of hours in their shared office alone, wasting time on his computer, zoning out on YouTube. He hadn’t realized how much time had passed until he glanced up at one point, and the room had begun to get dark. “Huh, weird that Link hasn’t come back in here yet,” he thought to himself.

He closed his laptop and left the room to find his friend. He ran into Stevie in the hall.

“Have you seen Link?” she asked Rhett.

“I was gonna ask you the same thing…”

“Huh…”

“Yeah…”

The two stood in silence for a few seconds before Rhett spoke up. “I’m gonna go try to find him.”

“Ok. I’ll get back to work.”

“See ya.”

Rhett continued on, checking side rooms as he reached them. The more rooms he checked, the more worried he became. It wasn’t usual for Link to be missing for so long. He’d disappear here and there throughout the day, presumably going to the bathroom or…taking care of other…things…but never for so long.

After quite some time of searching the building, he came up to the door of a bathroom that was almost never used. Rhett knocked on the door and got no reply. He knocked again. “Link? You ok in there?” There was no doubt that Link was the one in the bathroom. “Link?”

“G…Go away!” Link’s voice was shaky.

“You ok in there?”

 _“Please!”_ The desperation in the man’s voice was shocking to Rhett.

“What’s wrong, Link?”

There was no response from beyond the door. Rhett banged on the door once more. Again, nothing. Then, suddenly, a crash made Rhett jump.

“What the—“ Rhett was done messing around. He immediately began trying to force the door open. It took a few tries, but eventually the giant man came crashing into room. Time was moving in slow motion.

There was a trashcan knocked over on the tiled floor. A few inches above that, a dirty pair of grey Mythical Shoes were dangling. Rhett eyes followed the body attached to them upwards. When the truth behind what he was looking at finally registered in his mind, Rhett leapt forward. Link was clawing at the belt he had removed from around his waist and moved to his neck. He had strung it over the a light fixture.

“FUCK!” Rhett bellowed. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”

Link’s face was scrunched up and turning purple. He was shaking. Rhett wrapped his arms tightly around Link’s waist and held him up so that he wasn’t choking. It was a struggle for Rhett to hold on. Not only was his back already bothering him from an episode they had filmed recently, but Link kicking his legs wildly, trying to shake the other man off of him.

“HELP!” Rhett shrieked, praying that one of the crew members would hear him. “SOMEBODY FUCKING HELP!”

Rhett’s body was screaming out in pain. He was getting kicked in the stomach and the groin, but he wouldn’t let himself release Link.

“Let go,” Link choked out.

“STEVIE! EDDIE! SOMEBODY! FUCKING HELP ME!”

“Rhett, just—“

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Rhett muttered over and over again. Clearly nobody could hear him from where they were, but he couldn’t get Link down by himself. He managed to fish his phone out of his pocket and hit the “Emergency” button. As soon as he got 911 on the phone, he dropped it. He adjusted his grip on Link’s struggling body and yelled out to the person on the other end of the phone.

“MY FRIEND TRIED TO HANG HIMSELF AT WORK AND I’M HOLDING HIM UP! OUR EMPLOYEES ARE HERE BUT THEY CAN’T HEAR ME!” It was then that Rhett’s emotions caught up to the situation. Tears began streaming down his face.

He hadn’t been able to turn on the speaker setting before he dropped his cellphone, so he couldn’t hear what the person on the other end was saying. He just kept pleading for help and repeating their address.

Link, still struggling to breathe, began crying out. “LET ME GO, RHETT! LET GO!”

It wasn’t long until Rhett could make out the faint sound of sirens approaching. “Thank God,” he whispered. “Thank fucking God.”

The next thing he knew, there was a large group of people in the doorway. Two of them were the medical technicians, and the rest were their crew members. Link was still flailing, and Rhett was still fighting his own pain to hold Link at a safe height. Before asking any questions, the EMTs removed the belt from Link’s neck and got him on the ground.

Rhett stumbled backwards and collapsed from exhaustion. His vision was blurry from his tears. The EMTs were struggling with Link on the ground. They eventually got him restrained on a stretcher and began wheeling him out of the room. Rhett couldn’t move. He was trembling—in complete shock.

Stevie joined him on the floor and asked, “What the hell happened!?”

“I… I was looking for Link and… And I found him… And I… I was holding him so he wouldn’t…wouldn’t…get strangled… And I was yelling for you guys, but… But you couldn’t hear… And…” Rhett choked out a loud sob. “I…”

“Rhett, oh my God… Was there… Did he… Were there any signs!?” Stevie was rubbing his back.

“He’s been acting off, but… But no… I don’t think so…”

“He’s safe now,” Jen assured him.

“Come on, Rhett, let’s get up.” Stevie helped him stand and they all walked into the hallway. It was an interesting sight to see such a small girl helping such a giant man walk. “Guys,” Stevie said, addressing the rest of the crew, “Link’s probably really embarrassed. Stay in here.”

Everyone agreed. Stevie helped Rhett out the door of the studio and towards the ambulance. The back doors were open and Link was inside, still struggling, but clearly tiring out.

One of the EMTs approached Rhett and Stevie. “I don’t think there’s any question that he needs to be hospitalized…”

“Yeah, no. Do whatever you need to do,” Rhett practically begged. “Just, please help him.”

“We’ll do what we can. He didn’t take any medication or anything, did he?”

“I don’t think so. I… I really didn’t see this coming. I… I…”

“He’s in our hands, now. He’ll be okay. We’ll take care of him.”

“Can I talk to him?” Rhett wondered, looking past the man talking to him and towards the ambulance.

“I’m afraid not.”

“I understand…” Rhett sounded utterly defeated.


	2. Chapter 2

Rhett had been informed of the hospital Link was being kept in and when he could visit. He was going to head over there after some time at the studio. Nobody had talked to him since he was taken away in the ambulance. That had been a little over a week ago. Rhett wasn’t alone in the studio. Most of the crew members were there, too. They luckily had a backlog of episodes filmed, so they didn’t need to worry about keeping up with their posting schedule. Everyone struggled to keep to their daily routines, even though what was going on was anything but routine.

“Do you know what to expect?” Stevie asked Rhett quietly.

“What?”

“When you go visit him. Do you know what to expect?”

Rhett shook his head. “No clue.” He was extremely nervous. He was scared to see where Link was being kept. He was scared to see the state that his best friend was in. Was he okay? Was he still… Was he still suicidal? Rhett felt sick to his stomach.

“Let me know when you’re getting ready to leave so I can say goodbye.”

“Will do.”

Jen overheard this. “Oh, do you get to see Link today?” she asked.

“Hopefully, yeah.”

“Tell him we all miss him and hope he’s feeling better!”

“I can do that,” Rhett said with a sad smile.

Everyone continued to work for about another hour until Rhett walked into the main room and announced he was about to leave. Everyone wished him luck and told him little things they wanted him to pass on to Link. Hugs were shared, and Rhett quickly left.

He sat in his car for a while, trying to tell himself that he could handle the situation. He pulled up the directions on his phone. The drive didn’t take too long, despite the stereotypical Los Angeles traffic. The address he had been led to belonged to a looming concrete building. He parked and got out of his car, again needing to psych himself up before moving forward.

When Rhett entered the lobby, he gave the woman at the desk his name and his reason for being there. She directed him to an elevator and told him he’d need to head to the fourth floor. There, he met a security guard who had Rhett hand over any sharp objects he had on his person. His heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest. A nurse then led him down another hallway and stopped out front of a doorway.

“We normally have patients meet with visitors in the common room, but Charles let us know of his situation.”

“Situation?” Rhett asked, raising an eyebrow.

“He wanted to make sure he wasn’t recognized.”

“Oh.” Rhett hadn’t even thought of that. What if a fan saw that Link was in the hospital for a suicide attempt? What if that information got online? Link would be devastated.

“This is his room,” she stated matter-of-factly. Rhett was kind of surprised to see her open the door without knocking. “Visiting hours are over in forty-five minutes.”

“Thanks.”

He cautiously stepped into the nearly empty room, and the nurse closed the door behind him. The room was bare. There were no pictures on the walls, which were painted white. The linoleum of the floor was white, too. There was a table and a chair in the corner, obviously stuck in place. There was a bed pushed against one wall, but there were no sheets on it. The room looked like a miserable place to live.

With the room being so bright, Link’s raven hair stuck out like a beacon. He was standing with his back to Rhett, staring out the window. He was dressed in a hospital gown that had had the strings removed, unable to be tied shut. He didn’t have any clothes on underneath.

“Hey, brother,” Rhett whispered. The room was so quiet that he was afraid to make any sound at all.

Link turned to face his friend. He had dark circles under his eyes—he looked horrible. Rhett noticed faint bruising around his neck.

“Are you—“

“My psychiatrist recognized me.” Link seemed extremely worried.

“It’ll be okay, man. Doctor/patient confidentiality, remember?”

“Yeah… Yeah…”

“So…” Rhett said, awkwardly.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Link said sarcastically, holding his arms out.

“The crew misses you.”

“I’m… Tell them I’m sorry.”

“They know.”

Link nodded slowly. “I’m so sorry I did that at work. I… I just lost it all of a sudden. I couldn’t take it anymore.” He closed his eyes.

“Take what?”

There was a long pause. “I don’t… I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I’m here for you, brother. You can tell me anything.”

“I know, Rhett. I know. I just…” He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“So, they just…lock you in here all day with nobody keeping an eye on you?”

Link pointed to the corner of the room, where there was a camera Rhett hadn’t noticed before. “24-hour supervision,” he said.

“Ah.”

“Yeah. No privacy.”

The tension was awful. Link had a wall up, and Rhett wanted desperately to break it down.

Link sat on the bed and leaned against the wall. Rhett took a seat in the chair.

“How have you been?” Rhett asked him.

“Alright. The food here sucks. I’m lonely. But I’ve been talking to a counselor.”

“Has it been helping?”

Link sighed. “I mean… I guess so. Yeah. Yeah, it has.”

“Do you still—“

“I’m not gonna try to kill myself again.” Link answered Rhett’s question before he could even ask it.

Rhett breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath. “That makes me so happy to hear,” he admitted.

“I can’t wait to get out of here,” Link mused, staring out the window again. “I… Can I have a hug?”

This question took Rhett by surprise. “What? Of… Of course!” Rhett stood and joined his friend on the bed. He wrapped an arm around Link. The smaller man rested his head on Rhett’s shoulder.

“I missed you so much.”

Rhett noticed Link was crying. “Shoot, it’s gonna be okay, man. It’s gonna be okay.”

“When I get out, can we take that camping trip?”

“Hell yeah.”

“Thank you, Rhett. Thank you for… Thank you for saving my life.”

“Any time, brother.”

“Will you stop calling me that?”

“What? Why!? I’ve always—“

“Just… Please.”

“Uh… Alright. Sure.”

“Thank you.”

“When do you think you’ll be out of here?”

“Hopefully in a few days.”

“Really?” Rhett smiled.

“Yeah. Hopefully. If I keep improving like I have been.”

“That’s great, br—Uh… That’s great.”

Link shifted, wrapping his arms tightly around Rhett’s torso. “I’m so sorry for everything I’ve put you and the crew through. I know it wasn’t right.”

“Link, don’t. You’re going through a tough time. I mean, you won’t tell me what’s wrong, but I know something ain’t right. We just want to help you.”

Link looked up, and before Rhett could register what was happening, their lips were moving as a unit. Rhett’s eyes were wide open in shock. Link pulled away quickly. “I… I’m sorry… I…”

“Link,” Rhett started, carefully, “is that… Do you…”

“No. I mean, I don’t know. Fuck. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m not… I mean…” Link was trembling from head-to-toe.

Rhett placed a gentle hand on the man’s knee. “Link, are you—“

“I’m not gay. I’m not… I…”

“Do you…like me?” Rhett asked carefully.

Link burst into violent sobs. “Fuck, I’m so fucking sorry, Rhett. I… I just… That’s not why I’m in here, I promise. I didn’t do all of this because I love you. I mean, I do, but I can handle that. What we’ve had our whole lives has been enough. I’m happy with what we have, I really am. I just thought… Just then… I thought you wanted… I mean, I…”

Before Rhett had a chance to respond, the door opened. A nurse quickly ushered Rhett out of the room and back down the hall. “What’s happening?” Rhett asked desperately.

“The patient is upset. We can’t have visitors agitating suicidal patients like that. You’ll have to go.”

“Can I at least tell him—“

“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to come back later.”

Rhett was crushed. He needed to tell Link that…that the kiss was something he’d wanted to happen. That vibe that Link picked up on… When Link thought Rhett wanted to kiss him in that moment… It wasn’t wishful thinking. It wasn’t his imagination. Rhett was thinking about how wonderful it’d be to kiss Link. He’d never realized he had those feelings, but… But there they were. And now Link was having a nervous breakdown.

Rhett paused. He was a little disappointed that Link’s feelings for him weren’t what landed him in this place. It would make sense to him. When that information came out, Rhett felt a sense of ease, knowing why he had done what he did. But now, he was back to not knowing. It was still a mystery. It made him sad that his blood brother couldn’t tell him what was bothering him so much. He knew he needed to get Link to open up. Hopefully, their camping trip would be just the thing to do it.


	3. Chapter 3

Rhett sat in his car, unable to bring himself to leave. He wanted desperately to run back into the building and find Link’s room. He’d known Link since they were in 1st grade, and those nurses had known him for just a few days. Rhett felt like  _he_ should be the one to help him, not them. Yet there he was, stuck in his car after getting kicked out of Link’s room. His room that felt more like a jail cell. He felt totally helpless. If only he knew what was bothering Link, he’d feel at least a little better. Maybe he could fix some things before the man was able to come home. But no. He still had no clue what the issue was for Link. It was still a massive question mark.

Rhett trusted him when he had said his buried romantic feelings weren’t the reason why he’d tried to kill himself. Rhett knew the two of them could have gone on living the rest of their lives without changing the dynamic of their relationship. Everything was working out great. Despite that, however, Rhett was so glad to have the information out in the open. If Link hadn’t kissed him, he probably wouldn’t have realized his _own_ feelings for Link.

Rhett chuckled quietly to himself.

Realizing something so…important…probably should’ve been a bigger deal for him. Realizing he was in love with Link, another man, probably should’ve been life changing. Well, their lives would _definitely_ be different once they could be together, but… Rhett didn’t feel any different. It was just like someone had told him that the grass outside was green. It didn’t feel like he’d learned anything new. And he liked that that was the case. He couldn’t wait to kiss Link again and to tell him that his feelings were, in fact, reciprocated.

Rhett sighed. Should he go home, or back to the studio? He decided on the studio. He didn’t want to be alone quite yet.

He found Stevie at her desk and had her follow him to the private office he shared with Link. He shut the door behind them and began, “Stevie, I…”

“Is everything okay, Rhett? How’s Link?” she asked.

“Link is… He’s doing better. He looked awful, though.” Rhett sat in his chair, and Stevie sat in Link’s. She rolled it over so that she could sit in front of her boss, placing a hand on each of his knees. “They’ve got 24/7 surveillance on his room. He’s got nothing in there. It’s totally bare. He doesn’t even have sheets on the bed.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.”

“I know, but… It was just weird seeing him like that.”

“I understand. I’m surprised you came back so soon…”

“Yeah, about that… Link… He kissed me.”

“Yeah?”

“You’re not surprised?”

“Nope, that doesn’t surprise me either.”

“Yeah,” Rhett sighed.

“Is that—“

“No, Stevie. He said that he was handling his feelings for me just fine. And I believe him. But… But he instantly regretted kissing me. He said he was getting a vibe from me, so he decided to do it, but the way I reacted… I was in shock and he took it as…disgust? I don’t know. He started freaking out, and the nurses made me leave. They got mad at me for ‘agitating a suicidal patient.’”

“I’m so sorry, Rhett.”

“I wasn’t disgusted, Stevie.”

“I know, Rhett.”

Rhett swallowed hard, shaking his head. “I… He said he’d be out in a few days if he continued improving at the same rate.”

“When are the next visiting hours?”

“Next week.”

“Hopefully he’s out before then.”

Rhett nodded. “I still have no idea what’s wrong, though.”

“Not at all?”

“Nope. Not in the slightest.” Rhett sighed. “He said he wanted to go camping with me once he got out. Hopefully I can try to get him to open up to me then.”

“I think he will, Rhett.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rhett was sitting at home on his couch when he got a call.

“Hello?” He answered without looking at the caller ID.

“Rhett, it’s… It’s me.”

Rhett barely recognized his friend’s voice. It sounded scratchy…tired. “Link!? How… How are you calling me!?”

Rhett was supposed to go visit Link that same afternoon. It had been a week since they had spoken last.

“They released me. But... I realized I have no way of getting home. I don’t have my car or any money for a cab, so—“

“I’m leaving right now!” Rhett practically yelled. He leapt off the couch and grabbed his keys. He nearly forgot to put shoes on before running out the door.

His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel. The traffic was extremely light for the area, but any traffic at all would be excruciating for the man. It took him twenty minutes to arrive at the hospital. As he pulled up in front of the building, Link was standing uncomfortably on the sidewalk. His hair was disheveled, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He was wearing the same clothes he had on when the ambulance took him away. Link climbed into the passenger side of Rhett’s car.

“Thanks,” he muttered.

“How are you doing!?”

“Well, I’m out, so… Alright.”

“I’m glad.”

Rhett began the drive to Link’s house. Link rested his head on the window and sighed deeply. He looked like a zombie. A zombie with soft tears slipping down his cheeks… He was clearly trying to hide the fact that he was crying.

“Link, we…we need to talk.” Rhett gulped.

“Rhett, I really just…” He sniffled. “I really just want you to forget I said anything about… About… Just forget I kissed you or anything.”

“The feeling… The romantic feelings... The feeling is mutual.”

There was a long, drawn out silence between the men. “Excuse me? What did you just say?” Link asked, sitting up.

“The nurse dragged me away before I could say anything, Link. I’ve been waiting to tell you since they kicked me out.”

“Oh.”

“But, if you’d rather go back to—“

“Please, no!” Link suddenly begged, the volume of his voice surprising both men.

Rhett chuckled. “You wanna try to work something out?”

“Like what?”

“I dunno, buddy.”

Another moment of silence came and went. “Okay.”

“And that’s really not why you… Ya know…”

“I promise. I’ve been dealing with…something else.”

“I believe you,” Rhett assured.

“You’re… You’re not gonna ask me what it is?”

“I trust you to tell me when you’re ready.” Rhett pulled into Link’s driveway.

Link looked down and smiled, blushing slightly. “Thank you, Rhett.”

“I love ya, man.”

Link muttered something under his breath in response, but Rhett couldn’t make it out.

“You okay?”

“Oh, uh, yeah. It was nothing. Thanks for the ride.” Link opened the door and started walking to his house.

“Hey!” Rhett called, jumping out as well. “You’re not just _leaving_! I’m coming inside!”

“I’d rather you didn’t, Rhett. I…”

“What? Why? Link, let me help you out. You’ve gone through a lot, and I—“

Link stopped in his tracks and stared at the ground. “Rhett, listen to me.” He turned around and walked up to the larger man. “I really just need to sleep right now. You have no idea how…exhausting staying in that god damn room was. I’ve been through a lot, and I—“

“I know, Link. I’m sorry. I’ll just… I’ll go.” He turned and headed back to his car.

“Rhett?”

The man stopped and turned back around. “Yeah?”

“I…” Link was obviously debating whether or not to say what was on his mind. He scratched his head, deep in thought.

“Link? What is it?”

“Just… I look forward to that camping trip.”

“Me too.”

They said their goodbyes and parted ways. On his way back home, Rhett was angry with himself. That was _not_ how he had wanted things to go. It was too…polite. He wanted his next meeting with Link to be something more special. He wanted a long, passionate kiss. He wanted tears of joy. He wanted strong embraces—holding on to one another for dear life. He wanted… He wanted to show Link how much he really, truly meant to him. But instead, the drive home was quiet. It was friendly. The both of them were too nervous to say what they really wanted to say. Rhett cursed under his breath.

He needed that camping trip.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll get the next part done this weekend! :)

 

Rhett could hardly contain himself. He felt like he was about to burst with excitement. Link, on the other hand, was still acting extremely sluggish. It had been a few days since Rhett had taken him home, but his mood seemingly hadn’t improved at all yet. At least as far as Rhett could tell.

Rhett was so excited because that afternoon, after work, he and Link were embarking on their first camping trip in a long time. They had packed up the four-wheeler before coming to the studio that morning. Rhett had extremely high expectations for how the weekend would go. Hopefully he and Link would have a long talk about what’s been bothering the man, and the beginning of his healing process would truly begin. Rhett really believed that Link could never get better until he confided in his blood brother. And this camping trip would hopefully relax Link enough to open up.

The crew all knew about their boss’ plans for after work, so they were trying their best to rush through their duties. Stevie kept trying to get the two men to leave early, but Link kept refusing. There was definitely some tension, and nobody knew why. Rhett figured that Link knew Rhett wanted to have a…talk…and that he was nervous about it. Rhett understood.

It was 5 p.m. before Link couldn’t keep up his stalling. Everyone had finished their daily priorities and had begun picking up to leave. Rhett gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. “Ready for our quiet weekend?”

“I guess,” the smaller man whispered.

“Trust me, Link. It’ll be great.”

The two wandered out to the four-wheeler, trusting Stevie to close up the studio when the rest of the crew was gone. Link climbed into the passenger seat, and Rhett got behind the wheel.

They were on their way.

Every time Rhett glanced over at his friend, Link was staring with hooded eyes out the window, looking at nothing in particular. He was lost in his own thoughts. They had been on the road for… Rhett looked at the clock on the dashboard. 45 minutes. Almost no words were exchanged in that time.

“Hey,” Rhett spoke up, “what’cha thinkin’ about?”

“Nothing,” Link sighed.

“Link, I… I know you’re going through a tough time. But I want you to enjoy this. I…”

“I know, Rhett. I’m excited. I really am. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but… I’m just… I know you want to talk. I’m just trying to prepare myself.”

Rhett held out his hand in a wordless offer to Link. He gripped it in his own, and Rhett began stroking the back of Link’s hand with his thumb. When he glanced over at him that time, there was the faintest smile on his lips. “I love you,” he muttered.” Link didn’t respond. Rhett stopped trying to force a conversation. It would happen when the time was right.

The sun was beginning to set as they finished pitching their tent. Just as they had planned, their campsite was far away from anybody else. They were truly alone. Link sat in his blue chair that had caught on fire in their “5 Weird Ways to Start a Fire” video. He had never even bothered to fix it. Rhett chuckled boisterously when he noticed which chair Link had brought. “Why do you still have that thing?”

“It’s special to me!” Link defended himself. “Lots of memories…”

“You should’ve at least put some duct tape on it. You might make the whole worse and fall right through.”

Link shrugged. “Then it’ll be even more special.”

Rhett laughed again. “Alright. Uh, sooo… You wanna go fishing for some dinner?”

“Well, I am pretty hungry, but…”

“But what?”

“You go. I’ll… I’ll stay here.”

“Link, this trip isn’t supposed to be me doing stuff by myself while you mope around…” Rhett immediately cringed at his choice of words.

Link lowered his head, afraid that his eyes would give away whatever it was that he was thinking. “I know, Rhett. I’m just… I’m trying to collect my thoughts.”

“You’re okay, though?” Rhett was really worried about his friend.

“I promise that I’m okay,” Link let out a tired laugh. “I’ve had a long week. I just want to relax. I’ll get the fire started while you’re gone.”

“Okay.” The man smiled, awash with relief. “I’ll go find us some dinner.”

“Hurry up, I’m hungry.”

“Well, you might want to munch on the trail mix. I don’t know how long I’ll be,” Rhett joked. It’d been a while since he’d been fishing.

The river wasn’t far from their campsite at all. It only took Rhett a couple of minutes to walk there with his fishing gear, which consisted only of a pole, a small tin of bait, and a little cooler for any fish he caught. Rhett sat on a rock and cast his lure into the water. He was alone with nature, but he couldn’t focus on the gentle noises that surrounded him. Instead, he was worrying about how to get Link to open up to him. It would be an awkward weekend if they didn’t clear the air as quickly as possible.

He wasn’t sure how he managed to do it, but it didn’t take long before Rhett had three decently sized trout in his cooler. It’d be enough for the night. They did have the ingredients for s’mores, after all. He hiked back to their campsite, finding Link right where he had left him, beginning to doze off in front of a large fire.

“Hey, sleepy head,” Rhett teased.

“Got some grub?” Link asked, sitting up straight and stretching.

“Yep! I’ll get everything cooked. You just chill out.”

“I appreciate it, Rhett.” Link was being genuine. Rhett figured that was a good sign. All Rhett wanted was to stay up late into the night, discussing anything and everything that might have been weighing on Link’s psyche.

Rhett could definitely sense Link opening up later that night while they were making s’mores. He was giggling and squirming around in a way he hadn’t seen in a long time. Rhett loved it. The way the orange light of the fire danced across Link’s skin…across his smile… It was beautiful. Rhett hadn’t realized Link stopped laughing, and was instead staring at him inquisitively.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.

“I, uh… You… You’re beautiful.”

Link blushed furiously, hiding his face. “Th…thank you, Rhett… I…”

“Sorry. I just got distracted there for a minute,” Rhett chuckled.

There was a long silence between the two--crickets replaced the sound of laughter. The campsite was filled with tension. Not bad tension, necessarily… It was obvious to both men that there was something that needed to be said.

“Uh, Link?” Rhett began, cautiously. “Can… Can we…”

“Talk?” Link finished.

“Yeah.”

Link removed his glasses and set them aside. He rubbed his eyes. “Yeah,” he sighed, getting ready for something he’d been dreading for a long time.

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this fic is (kind of) in Rhett's POV, the pronouns used to refer to Link will be all over the place. I want to portray the fact that Rhett struggles to get used to how things have changed. Sometimes Link will be referred to as "he" and sometimes "she."

“Rhett, I… Well… Okay, so… Dammit. Rhett, it’s just…” Link must have started his sentence twenty times.

“Link, please just tell me. I’m not gonna freak out, I promise.” Rhett urged.

The smaller man shook his head. He drew his feet up onto the chair with him, wrapping his arms around his legs and resting his forehead on his knees. “You can’t promise that,” he sighed.

“We’ve been through everything together. I’m not leaving now…”

“I…” Link started crying. Rhett didn’t say a word. “I’m a woman.”

Rhett laughed awkwardly. “Uh, well… I _know_ that’s not true… I’ve seen your dick! Tell me what’s really going on, man…”

Link started crying harder. “You don’t get it.” He was trembling. “I… I’m trans…”

Rhett was at a complete loss for words. “Um… I don’t understand…”

“I was born a man, but I feel like I’m a woman.” Link was in defense mode now, afraid that Rhett would just drive away, leaving him out in the dark woods by himself. He couldn’t look up to see Rhett’s face. He just knew he was looking at him with disgust.

“Link, man… I mean, uh… You… You’re not kidding right now, are you? This isn’t some kind of…sick joke?”

“Why the fuck would I joke about that!?” Link’s voice echoed throughout the dark forest. The only sound interrupting the awkward silence in the campsite was the crackle of the fire.

“I don’t know, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… Link, so… You… Wow.”

More silence. Link was nervously waiting for Rhett to say something, and Rhett was trying to comprehend what he had learned.

“Rhett?” Link whispered.

“Listen, can I… I need to take a walk, okay?”

“ _What?_ ”

“I just need some time to think. I’ll… I’ll be right back.”

With that, Rhett stood and grabbed a flashlight. He left without another word. After walking a ways, he found a large fallen redwood tree that he could sit on. He took a deep breath, shaking his head in disbelief. Link… Link was trans? How could that even be? He began trying to pinpoint any recent incidents that would have given it away, but he found none. He felt awful. He felt guilty. He wished that Link had felt comfortable enough to tell him a long time ago. He had never met a trans person in his life, and now Link was telling him that he was. She? _She_ was? Rhett had no clue how he would be able to handle this news. He sat on the fallen tree alone, running through all the things he couldn’t call Link anymore. Brother and ‘man’ were the two main ones. He could hardly go two minutes without using those terms. Things were going to be very difficult for a long time. He just needed to remember that it would be a hell of a lot more difficult for Link than it would be for him. He figured he should probably go back to the campsite. There was a lot left unsaid, and Rhett was starting to get attacked by mosquitoes.

As soon as Link saw him approaching, he asked sorrowfully, “You hate me now, right? I’m surprised you came back…”

“What!? No way! We made a blood pact.”

“Yeah, but we agreed to be blood _brothers_. We can’t exactly be blood brothers if—“

Rhett interrupted him. “Link, stop for a second.”

“What?”

“I’m just really confused. I… How long?”

“How long what?”

“Have you…always known?”

“I mean… No… I just… I’ve felt… _off_ …for a long time. Like, a _long_ time.”

“So when did you figure this out?” Rhett questioned, trying his best to come across as calm. In reality, he was anything _but_ calm. He was trying not to cry like Link was.

“I don’t know. A few weeks ago, I guess…”

“And you just…couldn’t take it? That’s why you… Ya know…”

“Yeah.” Link sounded humiliated.

“It’s okay, brother.”

Link looked up.

“Shit. I’m sorry. I guess I can’t call you that anymore.”

“You’re… You’re okay with this?” Link asked, hesitantly.

“Okay with it? I guess so. I mean… I don’t really understand it… _at all_ … But I promised I’d be by your side forever, and I meant it. Link, we’ve been together for 30 fucking years. I’m not leaving now.”

Link broke down. He had already been crying, but it turned into sobs. _Loud_ sobs. Rhett stood and pulled Link up out of his chair, holding him in his arms tightly. Rhett was crying quietly too.

“Link,” he began, his voice shaky, “I’ll be right here for you through everything. If anyone isn’t okay with this, then fuck ‘em.”

“I love you, Rhett.”

“I love you.” Rhett kissed Link on the forehead. “So, uh… Now that we’ve established that I’m not abandoning you out here, can I ask you a few questions?”

Link laughed heartily. It was a huge relief to hear. “Yeah, okay…”

Rhett went back to his own chair across the fire from Link’s. He took a moment to gather his thoughts. “I guess, first of all… What made you realize that you…you should be a…a woman?” Rhett couldn’t believe the words coming from his own mouth.

“Well,” Link sounded incredibly embarrassed. “If I’m being honest, it was… It was that character Angel.”

“From that fart sketch we did!?” Rhett burst out laughing. It took him a minute to get himself under control, but was relieved to see Link laughing as well.

“Yeah. I mean, obviously I’ve played female characters before, but… I don’t know. That time, the makeup was…it was done well… The wig looked like my hair… I saw myself in the mirror in the dressing room, and it was like I got hit by a truck.”

“Wow,” Rhett muttered.

“Looking back… I should’ve known a lot sooner. I remember one time, when I was little, I had a tantrum because I kept trying to use the girls’ room, but got in trouble.”

“I REMEMBER THAT!” Rhett bellowed, suddenly getting a flashback of their first year of school together. “Ms. Locklear had no clue how to handle that!”

Link giggled. “Yeah…”

“Oh, remember that time we went to McDonalds, and you started crying because my dad wouldn’t let you get the girl’s toy with your Happy Meal?”

“Yes!” Link gasped. “I forgot all about that!”

The two friends reminisced about moments that should have clued them in to Link’s true identity long into the night. As the giggles died down and were replaced by the crackling of the fire and the crickets hiding somewhere in the dark, Rhett asked something that had been in the back of his mind since Link spilled the beans.

“So, does this mean that you’re changing your name?”

“I haven’t thought about that.” Link paused. “That’s a lie. I’ve thought about it a lot.”

The two laughed.

“I just… I don’t know, Rhett. I really don’t. I could just change Charles to Charlotte and leave it at that. It wouldn’t mess with our brand or anything that way.”

“Oh, true. I don’t think that’s a bad idea!”

“Really?”

“Not at all! But… Would you still go by Link? What about that?”

Link sighed. “I really don’t know. I did some research. Celebrities have named their daughters Lincoln.”

“Seriously?” Rhett asked, eyebrows raised.

“Yeah. I… I have no idea what to do about that, Rhett. I really don’t.”

“There’s no need to make a decision right now,” Rhett assured. “Just… Why don’t we hit the hay?”

Link nodded. “Okay.”

Rhett took Link’s hand and walked him to their tent. He gave… _her_ …a kiss before climbing in. They shared one large sleeping bag, huddling for warmth. Rhett knew, based on prior events, that Link would spoon him. This time, he was looking forward to it.


	6. Chapter 6

Rhett awoke in the morning just as the sun was beginning to rise. He and Link had jury-rigged one large sleeping bag by zipping each individual one together. They had done that since childhood—it was a good way to keep warm. As Rhett had expected, Link was plastered up against him. It wasn’t until then that he realized that Link was still wearing his jeans. Rhett thought that it was odd.

He noticed Link stirring a bit, and asked quietly, “Link? Are you awake?”

“Kinda,” his friend whispered.

“Why did you keep your jeans on?”

There was silence for a while. Link drew back the sleeping bag so that his pants were visible. He then hooked his thumb through a belt loop and pulled the jeans down slightly, revealing lacy red panties.

“Oh,” was all Rhett could say for quite some time. “Uh… Are those…?”

“They’re the ‘fancy panties’ that we were sent, yes.” Link’s voice made it clear that he was embarrassed, but trying to sound confident in his answer.

“Well, I’m glad you’re getting some use out of them.” Rhett said with an awkward laugh. “So, uh… Want breakfast?”

“Rhett,” Link sighed, “be honest with me, please. Are you really okay with everything I admitted last night?”

Rhett couldn’t make eye contact with his friend. “I…” He took a few moments to gather his thoughts. “I accept what you’ve told me, Link. I’m gonna stick by your side through your journey. But honestly, this is going to be very difficult for me. I’ve known you my whole life as a man, and… It’s just gonna be hard. Really hard. I’m sure a few things will happen that will make me…question things… But I promise you that I won’t let any of this tear us apart. Okay? I might get angry, I might get upset, but I promise it won’t last. I… I love you. I loved you as a man, and I will love you when you’re a woman, too.”

Link laid atop Rhett, resting his head on his chest. He was crying softly. Gripping Rhett’s shoulders tightly, Link muttered, “I’m really sorry I’m putting you through this, Rhett. I didn’t want to, but—“

“Shhh…” Rhett rubbed Link on the back gently. “You needed to, Link. We’re gonna get through this together.”

“What do you think the crew is gonna think?”

“The crew!?” Rhett chuckled. “The crew is gonna be fine with it, buddy!”

“Yeah… You’re right…”

“They’re the last group of people you need to worry about accepting you.”

“I’m glad we hired who we did,” Link laughed.

The two laid in place late into the morning. Eventually, their cuddles transformed into gentle kisses, which gradually got more passionate as time went on. Rhett began to grind against Link—both of them were groaning softly. Rhett’s hand moved to Link’s waistband, but Link swatted his hand away and moved back.

“What’s wrong?” Rhett asked, concerned that he’d upset Link in some way.

“I… I can’t.”

“Why not?” Rhett raised an eyebrow. “Are you just nervous, because if that’s the case, we—“

“No. It’s…” Link’s face turned a bright red hue. He scratched his head anxiously. “My, you know… My…penis…” He grimaced as the words escaped his mouth.

Rhett blushed. “What…about it?”

“Just the fact that it’s there. I hate looking at it… It’s just a reminder that—“

“I’m sorry. I didn’t even… I…”

“It’s okay, Rhett.”

There was a brief silence before Rhett made a suggestion. “What if you just closed your eyes?”

Link raised his eyebrows. “Seriously?”

“I’m sorry. That was stupid.”

“Listen, Rhett. I… I do want to be with you. Eventually. But I’m just not ready yet. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the surgery, but… Whether or not I do, we’ll… We’ll be together.”

“I really am sorry, Link. I don’t want you to think I’m…rushing you…or pushing you…or whatever. I…”

“Just stop.” Link smiled. “I know you didn’t mean it to sound how it did. Let’s just get some breakfast. I’m starving.”

Rhett nodded.

Rhett watched Link from across the ash-filled fire pit as he…she…ate…her…Frosted Mini Wheats. Rhett shook his head, closing his eyes. He couldn’t imagine how he’d ever get used to the change of pronouns. Link had always been a “he.” It was ingrained in his mind that way. It had been that way for 30 years. He prayed that it wouldn’t take that long to change.

“Rhett?” Link’s voice snapped Rhett out of his head.

“Yeah?”

“What do you feel like doing today?”

“I was thinking we could just go for a hike,” Rhett said with a smile.

“Sounds good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. We can have a picnic.”

“A _romantic_ picnic,” Rhett teased.

Link blushed violently as a giggle escaped his mouth. “Stop…”

“There’s a nice lake a few miles away. We can go for a swim, too.”

“I’m so excited…” Link admitted.


	7. Chapter 7

The friends-turned-couple were sitting on a large boulder after an afternoon of hiking. They were taking a snack break. Rhett was holding a Ziploc bag full of trail mix and Link was picking out the chocolate and peanuts, leaving everything else for Rhett. Far off in the distance they could see the L.A. skyline.

“Rhett?” Link asked, mouth full.

“What’s up?”

“How am I gonna tell the crew?”

Rhett was silent for a moment. “I guess…just how you told me…”

Link sighed. “I’m terrified…”

“Well, I don’t think there’s any rush…”

“Yeah, there is... Definitely. I need some help.”

“With what?” Rhett raised an eyebrow.

“Makeup…hair…clothes… Looking like I’m not a 37 year old man…”

“Oh.” Rhett nodded. “Yeah, I was about to say that I could help you with that, but…”

Link giggled loudly. “Yeah, no. I’ve seen you try to put on makeup. I’m shitty at it, but I think I’m better than you.”

After a pause, Rhett shyly muttered, “You’re going to look beautiful.”

Link blushed furiously. “I… I don’t know about that.”

“You are!” Rhett insisted. “You’re handsome as it is. You’re adorable. With a little bit of help from the girls…you’re just…you’re gonna be really… I just…”

“Stop,” Link said with a smile, sensing Rhett having difficulty finding words.

“You know, I think it’s so weird…sad…that we never were honest about our feelings for each other. It took so long…” He shook his head in disbelief. “I love you so much, and I didn’t even know it went beyond friendship until you kissed me. I’m a fucking idiot…”

“You totally are,” Link teased. Rhett hit his friend’s shoulder playfully.

Rhett leaned down and kissed the base of Link’s neck. The reaction was shocking to Rhett in the best way possible. Link moaned softly, melting into the soft touch. Rhett couldn’t help but slip a hand up under Link’s t-shirt, caressing the supple muscles as he continued to kiss along Link’s neck and jawline.

“Rhett,” Link moaned, scooting across the rock, out of Rhett’s reach.

“What’s wrong?” he wondered.

“Don’t you…remember what I said last night?” Link couldn’t look at Rhett.

“Yeah, of course! I wasn’t trying to—“ He noticed midsentence a bulge at the front of Link’s shorts that definitely was not there earlier. “I’m, uh… Uhhhh… Sorry…”

A single tear rolled down Link’s right cheek. “I fucking hate this, Rhett.”

“Hate what?” Rhett really wanted to pull Link in for a hug, but he wasn’t sure if he should touch… _her…_

“I want to be with you, I really do. I’ve had some pretty raunchy dreams about…us. But it just doesn’t feel right when I get a…you know… I dread using the restroom. Any reminder that I was born with the parts that I was is just torture. And I know I said I wanted to maybe get the reassignment surgery, but… I’m so scared, Rhett. What if it takes away all the feeling…down there? What if I get the surgery and then I’ll never get to know what it’s like to be intimate with you?”

Rhett nodded slowly. “I… I don’t know anything about any surgeries for what you’re talking about, but… But I’m sure finding some more info will help relax you…help you decide… I’ll help you do some research when we get home, if you want…”

“Rhett?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you ever been with a guy?”

Rhett looked to the ground. “Once. In college.”

“Did you like it more or less than being with a female?”

“I’m not answering that.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want it to influence your decision to get the surgery or not. That _is_ why you’re asking, right?”

Link was quiet for a long time. “I don’t know.”

“Link, I’m going to support you no matter what you decide, okay?” Rhett took Link’s hand into his own, squeezing.

Link nodded. “I love you…”

“I love you, too.”

The two kissed before getting off the boulder, beginning their long hike back to their campsite.

Rhett was lost in his own head during the rest of the hike. He kept glancing over to Link, studying him. Rhett could not bring himself to see Link as a woman yet. He was hoping that it was because his… _her_ …face was covered in stubble. Rhett shook his head. He’d known Link for three decades, and he wasn’t going to be able to completely change his view of Link overnight. It wasn’t possible. Well, maybe it was for other people, but not for him. The stubble certainly wasn’t helping, though. What was that makeup technique called? Contouring? Maybe once the new information settled in and the girls helped Link with his makeup and some contouring, Rhett would be able to really accept Link as being a woman.

“Accept” wasn’t the right word.

He _accepted_ that Link was a woman. It was just that… He looked so…manly… Rhett suddenly remembered the character Link had mentioned. Angel. It was so easy for Rhett to forget he was sitting with Link in that car. He really felt like he was sitting there with a girl. Rhett smiled. He’d be able to get used to everything. It’d just take time.

He wasn’t quite sure when it had happened, but at some point, Link’s fingers had intertwined with his own. He sighed, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his skin. “So, Link?”

“Yeah, Rhett?”

When their eyes met, Rhett was taken aback by how beautiful Link was. He’d seen the beauty before plenty of times, so he wasn’t sure why it was affecting him so strongly.

“Are… Are you, like, my girlfriend or something, now?”

Link blushed, breaking eye contact. “That…sounds so weird…”

“If you—“

Link cut him off. “It sounds weird in the _best_ way possible.”

Rhett squeezed Link’s hand tightly in a sort of silent message of agreement. What Link had said was right. It did sound weird in the best way.

“I don’t want to go back to reality, Rhett…”

“What do you mean?”

“Out here… Out here, we can be ourselves. We don’t have to hide. But you know we can’t display this sort of affection on the show. And I sure as hell can’t come out as trans to our fans.”

“I think that’s a conversation for another day, Link. Let’s just enjoy what we have now.”

Link nodded, clearly holding back some thoughts. Rhett couldn’t blame _her_ for being worried. They had all kinds of fans, and it would be stupid and naive to believe Link coming out wouldn’t piss some people off. Rhett just didn’t want to think about any of that yet. He wanted to enjoy the remainder of their trip.


	8. Chapter 8

Rhett and Link spent the last day of their trip lounging by the river. They were goofing around just like when they were kids, back in the Cape Fear River, and Rhett could not have been happier. The drive back into the city was a quiet one, and Link spent it staring out the window, much like on the drive into the forest two days earlier, smiling a warm smile. It warmed Rhett’s heart to see. He took his friend’s hand in his own, stroking it softly with his thumb, just like before.

When Rhett pulled into Link’s driveway, they both got out of the car. Rhett helped to retrieve Link’s things from the trunk and carried everything to the front porch. Link unlocked the door, and when Rhett started to step inside, stopped him.

“What?” Rhett asked, confused by the action.

“I… I’m just…”

“Link, why haven’t you wanted me inside lately? What else are you hiding? You already told me about—“

“I’m just trying to figure stuff out, Rhett,” Link muttered.

“I know, but—“

“I don’t think I’m ready for…for you to…” There was a long pause. Rhett could tell that Link was trying to hold back some tears. Link was clearly a bit ashamed by what was about to come out next. “I’ve been trying to make an effort to walk around the house…in my shitty makeup… And I stole a couple of wigs from the studio…and…I got some women’s clothes from a thrift store… It doesn’t look good, Rhett. It really doesn’t…”

Rhett nodded slowly, taking in the information.

“I just…” Link sighed deeply. “If you really want to come in and stay for a while, I guess you can, but…”

Rhett pushed past his friend. “I may not be very…knowledgeable…when it comes to women’s fashion, but I’ll try my best to give you some pointers.”

Link’s mouth turned up into a tiny smile. “Uh, ok…”

“Go do your makeup like you usually do. Just go get all dolled up…or whatever. I’ll wait here.” He plopped himself down on Link’s couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table.

Link blushed and hurried out of the room.

When he returned quite some time later, the tiny smile was gone, and tears were pouring down his…her…cheeks. The mascara she had shakily applied was running and mixing in with the slightly smeared pink lipstick. Link had placed the black wig that Rhett had worn during their Wedding Fail News Musical on his—HER—head, but it had fallen to the side. An old, worn floral dress was draped across her broad shoulders.

“I look like shit.” Link was sobbing.

Rhett leapt up from the sofa and pulled his friend into a huge bear hug. His arms securely wrapped around Link’s slight frame. “Listen to me,” he whispered reassuringly, “you’ll figure this stuff out. You either need to grow your own hair out, or we need to get some decent wigs.” Rhett removed the wig and tossed it onto the floor. “We use those for comedy. They’re meant to look like shit. Not…not that you look like shit. It’s just…”

Rhett stopped talking, afraid he was making things worse. Link was trembling against his chest.

“Rhett, I look insane. I look like a literal insane person. You should just take me back to that hospital.”

“Shit. Link, you just need to learn some tricks. You need help. You can’t figure this out on your own, and that’s totally fine.”

There was a long silence between the two, until Link stepped back, held out his arms, and muttered, “I’m so friggin’ hairy…”

“Shaving isn’t that big of a deal!” Rhett encouraged.

“It’ll clog the drain, Rhett. If I want to get rid of this, it’ll have to be by getting waxed.”

Rhett winced. “Ouch.”

“I’m scared.”

“Of getting waxed?”

Link nodded. “Just the chest was horrible… Would… Would you come with me?”

Rhett smiled, pulling Link back in for another hug. “Of course. I’ll be right there for you. But I’m not getting waxed this time. Once was enough for me.”

Link giggled. “I don’t blame you.”

The two stood embracing for a while. Link broke the hug again and muttered, “Rhett, I’m sorry, but I need to wash my face, and maybe take a nap.”

“I’ll go. Try to stay positive, okay? I’m here for you.”

“We’re going in to work tomorrow, right?”

“That’s the plan, yeah.”

“I need to figure out how I’m gonna bring this up to the crew.”

“Just shoot me a text if you need any help, brother.” Rhett froze. “Shit! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—“

“It’s okay, Rhett.” Link smiled a sad, tired smile. “I’ll be fine.”

Rhett nodded and left the house.

The next day, Rhett picked Link up to take him to work as per usual. Clearly on edge, Link was fidgeting in the passenger seat.

“Try to relax, _babe_ ,” Rhett said, trying to sound cheerful.

“ _Babe_?” Link thought the term of endearment was amusing. “Did you really just call me ‘ _babe_?’”

Rhett’s face turned a deep red. “I just…”

“Thanks, _babe_ ,” Link interrupted. “Today’s just gonna be…big.”

“I know, _babe_. You know the crew will accept everything.”

“I know, but I’m still… I’m so nervous.”

“I’ll be right next to you if you need me.”

“I… I love you, Rhett.”

“I love you, too.”

Rhett and Link arrived at the studio a bit late, thanks to the L.A. traffic. Link had to psych himself up before exiting the car. Rhett waited patiently, understanding that Link was going through a lot. When they were finally entering the building, Rhett placed a gentle hand on the small of Link’s back, emphasizing the fact that he was there for support.

The crew barely looked up from their work when their bosses walked in.

“Uh, guys?” Link squeaked. Nobody heard his small voice over their miscellaneous tasks. “Guys?” Link said a little louder.

Everyone looked up. Link blushed and made eye-contact with Rhett, wordlessly asking for help.

Rhett took over immediately. “We need to have an impromptu meeting.”

“Is everything okay?” Stevie asked. Everyone looked confused and slightly concerned. Rhett didn’t blame them, because of what had gone down just a couple of weeks earlier.

“Everything’s fine. We just have something we need to discuss. Some…news.”

“You’re scaring me,” Jen muttered.

“It’s alright. Really,” Rhett reassured.

Everyone wandered into their meeting room. Rhett and Link sat next to each other at the head of the table.

“I, uh… I have an announcement to make,” Link said quietly. There was a long, heavy silence. The only sound in the room was the squeaking from the office chairs everyone was shifting awkwardly in. “I’m, uh… I don’t know how to say this. I was up almost all night last night stressing out about it, but… Sorry. I just… I’m… I’m trans.”

There was another long silence.

“Wait, what?” Eddie asked. “Did… Did I hear you right?”

“I’m a woman,” Link said matter-of-factly. “And Rhett and I are…together.”

“Well, that doesn’t surprise us, but… You’re really trans?” Stevie asked, standing up and heading over to Link, who nodded. “Link, obviously we’re all in shock, but… But we’re here for you.” She leaned over and pulled Link in for a tight hug. One by one, all the women of the crew did the same. The men stayed where they were, but expressed their support in their own way.

“My uncle came out as trans when I was eight,” Alex mentioned. “So I’m fine.”

“Nobody here has a problem with this, Link,” Mike said. Everyone was used to him having a weird, goofy personality around the studio. Nobody had heard him sound so serious. “Everyone here is here for you, whatever you need.”

Link couldn’t look up from his hands on the table. “I… Thank you, guys. I hate to ask, but… I need help. I need a lot of help. Make-up-wise… Clothes-wise…”

All of them women immediately perked up. They all started frantically trying to give Link all sorts of advice. Link looked ridiculously happy, but overwhelmed at the same time. Rhett, for one, couldn’t make out any one voice from the others.

“Slow down, ladies!” Rhett chuckled.

Link looked over to Rhett, silently expressing his joy. He was out to the crew, and he—she—now had some extremely enthusiastic help.

“Can I take you shopping after work?” Lizzie begged.

“If you’re going shopping, I’m coming,” Stevie insisted.

“Girls’ night out?” Link asked shyly.

“Heck yes,” Jen agreed.

Chase raised his hand like a shy student in elementary school. “Uh, I have a question.”

“Yeah?” Link asked nervously.

“Are you changing your name? Do we call you a ‘she’ now? Are you gonna tell the fans?”

“I don’t know, I’d appreciate it, and I’m not going to. Not yet, at least.”

“Alright. Sounds good,” Chase nodded.

“I need to use the restroom…” Link excused himself from the room.

Rhett took the opportunity to address the crew without Link. “I want to thank you guys. Link came out to me on the first night of our trip. He was absolutely positive that I was going to leave him out there by himself. Herself. Sorry. I’m still getting used to that. Just… Thank you. Thank you so much. We don’t want this to affect the show at all. And yeah. We’re dating. Kinda.”

“I’m glad Link trusts us all enough to tell us,” Jen spoke up.

Everyone agreed wholeheartedly.

“Before the ladies take Link out shopping, I think we should all have a celebratory dinner,” Eddie suggested.

Once more, everyone agreed wholeheartedly.

“I’ll let Link know,” Rhett said with a large smile.


	9. Chapter 9

Just as Rhett raised his hand to knock on the door to the bathroom, Link opened it.

“Woah,” they both laughed, jumping from surprise.

“Sorry, uh. Eddie just suggested we have a celebratory dinner before you and the ladies go out. What do ya think?”

“Sounds awesome!” Link smiled.

Once an acceptable amount of work was done, someone turned on some music and poured glasses of beer and wine. Eddie, being the chef of the group, quickly whipped up a meal that everyone could enjoy using what they already had in the studio’s small kitchen—bacon wrapped chicken as well as a Caesar salad. When he announced the food was ready, everyone grabbed a plate and ate standing around. The conversation would move from movies, to tv, to video games, and to work, but it would always circle back to Link and how proud everyone was of _her_. The laughter in the building was deafening. The music, which was turned up pretty high, was barely audible over the many conversations.

The entire time, Link was leaned up against Rhett. The fact that Link was now completely “out” to him changed everything. But not only that, they were dating. Well, sort of. Link wasn’t sure that term was applicable until they actually went on a real date. Link smiled regardless, admiring Rhett’s happy, content face. They were so lucky to have the crew they did. This entire thing was all their idea. Link could sense that tears were on their way when Lizzie walked over.

“Hey, darlin’,” she said with a grin. “Hate to break up the party, but if we don’t get a move on, the stores I had in mind are gonna be closed before we get to ‘em.”

Link checked the time. She was right. “Alright. Rhett?”

“You heading out now?”

“I think so, yeah.”

“Ok. I hope you have fun… I kinda want to come with you, but it’s probably best I hang back. I don’t want to interfere.”

“Girls only,” Link giggled.

Rhett couldn’t help himself. He brushed Link’s hair aside and kissed…her…forehead. Not realizing anyone was watching, Rhett blushed when a few people near them let out an “aaaawwww…” in unison.

“Uh, anyways… Hope you get some good pointers.” Rhett smiled and gently shoved Link towards Lizzie. Together, they gathered the rest of the women and headed out.

Rhett grabbed another drink and plopped down on one of the couches, sighing deeply. He really did want to go with the girls. He knew, however, that Link really needed to experience this outing without him. He’d just get in the way. So instead, he hung back with the guys.

Rhett didn’t socialize much—he was stuck in his own head. He could already feel himself getting more used to using feminine pronouns to refer to his friend. He was proud of himself in that regard. It’d take him a while to be able to not need to consciously think about it, but now, he was sure he’d get there.

A text from Link broke him out of his thought process. He opened up the text to see a selfie. Link was in the middle, and all of the female crew members were around him—HER. Rhett winced at his internal mistake. Link’s makeup was impeccably done. It was a little bit…loud…for Rhett’s taste, but it looked amazing nonetheless. They must have been at some makeup store and asked an employee to show Link some tips. The expression on Link’s face made Rhett grin. She looked happier than Rhett had seen her look in a very, very long time. The comment below the picture was just a few exclamation points. Rhett responded with a happy emoji.

Putting his phone away, Rhett decided that he wanted to get Link a gift. He stood and headed over to where the nearest group of guys were chatting. Eddie, Alex, Mike, and Chase turned when Rhett got to them.

“Hey, guys,” he greeted them. “I was just thinking… I think I want to get Link a present.”

“Oh yeah?” Eddie asked.

Rhett nodded. “Yeah, but I didn’t have anything in mind… Now that…things have changed… I’m not really sure what she’d want… What do you guys think?”

Alex immediately spoke up. “Rhett, she’s the same person you’ve known since first grade. Whatever Link has liked for the past 30 years hasn’t changed.”

“Unless she’s been purposefully acting more masculine,” Mike pointed out.

“Oh… That’s a good point,” Alex muttered.

“Hey, why don’t you try to find some clothes she might like?”

“Oh!” Rhett gasped. “That’s perfect.”

Rhett left without another word, leaving the building and getting into his car. Surely, the girls would help Link pick out some clothes tonight, but Rhett was sure that Link would still appreciate the gesture. He thought that by giving Link this kind of gift would just serve to further convince her that Rhett accepted this new situation. Rhett didn’t want Link to know about what he was doing. Almost positive the girls went to the Glendale Galleria based off of the picture, Rhett decided that he’d go to the Burbank Town Center.

It took him a while to get there, and once he did, he was recognized by a few fans almost immediately. He hoped that Link didn’t have that experience. They always loved meeting fans, but he knew that this was such an important outing for Link. He was worried about the girls getting interrupted. Shaking the thought from his mind, he graciously took selfies with the fans and continued on his way.

Once he was inside, he realized he had no clue where to go. He was totally overwhelmed. He walked over to a directory, but it didn’t help much. He decided to ditch the clothing idea, and go for jewelry instead. He figured that’d be easier. He didn’t want to spend a ton of money, since he really had no idea what Link would like. This was totally uncharted territory in their relationship. He wandered for a while, trying to find a jewelry store that wasn’t too cheap, but not too expensive. He found one that looked promising on the second floor.

The second he walked in, an employee offered to help him.

“Do I really look that lost?” he chuckled.

“Kind of, yeah,” the woman responded with a kind smile. “Looking for something for your girlfriend?”

“Uh, yeah, I am…”

“What kind of style does she like?”

“I honestly have no idea…” Rhett sighed, looking around at all the options.

“That’s alright. Do you think you want to get her a bracelet, earrings, a necklace, or…”

“Ummm…” Rhett thought for a moment, before settling on necklace.

“Alright, those are over here!”

Rhett followed the woman helping him over to a case with a bunch of necklaces.

“Do you think she’d like one with her initial on it?” the woman asked.

“Oh, maybe…!” Rhett enthused.

“What’s her name?”

Without thinking, Rhett just blurted out, “Link.”

“Link? What’s that short for?” The woman was clearly surprised.

“Uuuuh…” Rhett was sure he was blushing. He cursed himself internally. “Lincoln…”

“Lincoln?” The woman raised an eyebrow.

Rhett got a bit closer so he could whisper to the woman. “Ok, I’m just gonna be honest here. I just started dating my best friend of 30 years, and they just came out to me as trans. I wanted to get him—HER—something.”

“Oh! Okay, that makes sense!” She giggled. “I confused there for a minute. I’d never heard of a girl being named Lincoln before… Anyways, congratulations!”

“Thanks,” Rhett said with a relieved smile. “Link was really worried I was gonna hate… _her_ … I think I already made it clear that I wasn’t gonna go anywhere, but I want to get her something special to reassure her.”

“You’re a sweetheart. She’s lucky to have you.” The woman pulled a short necklace from the case. “Let’s forget about the initials. You know, just in case she decides to change her name. What do you think of this one?”

Rhett was certainly no jewelry expert, but he thought the necklace in front of him was beautiful. It was silver and had a few tiny blue stones around it. “How much is it?” Rhett asked nervously.

“This one is $200.”

“Oh…” Rhett bit his lip. He wasn’t expecting to pay that much, but he really thought that Link would love it. He gave in. “Alright. I’ll take it.”

Rhett was walking back to his car when he spotted Link and a bunch of the crew members giggling in H&M. Link was grinning from ear to ear and holding up a black skirt. The makeup from the selfie was gone. Rhett stood in place for a moment, admiring the scene. Lizzie just happened to turn her head and spotted Rhett. She raised an eyebrow, but Rhett put a finger to his lips to tell her to keep her mouth shut.

He quickly left, wishing he could stay to witness the obvious pure joy that Link was experiencing. He felt his phone buzz while he was on his way to his car. It was Lizzie. “What are you doing here??”

“I thought you guys were at the Galleria. I wanted to get a present for Link. I’m heading home now.”

“Aaaw. Sweet.”

When Rhett was sitting in his car, he pulled the necklace out of its packaging and snapped a picture, sending it to Lizzie. “Think she’ll like this?” he asked.

“OMG YES!!!”

Rhett grinned and put his phone away. Hopefully Lizzie was right.


	10. Chapter 10

Rhett was laying in bed just on the brink of unconsciousness when his phone buzzing on his bedside table startled him. He had received a text from Link. He squinted, his eyes not prepared for the bright screen, as he unlocked his phone. He was greeted by Link’s grinning face.

In the photo, Link was obviously back home. Shopping bags were visible on the floor, but clearly not the focus of the photograph. Link’s obviously content face stared at Rhett through the phone screen. The majority of the makeup from earlier had been removed, but a conservative amount was left over. This was more to Rhett’s liking. Link looked less like a drag queen about to step onto the stage and more like a woman just going about her day-to-day activities. Rhett smiled, his eyes now comfortable with the glow. Link looked happy. Really happy. Rhett couldn’t tell from the photo, but Link was wearing some of the clothing picked out by the crew. Rhett realized he hadn’t read the comment Link had sent along with the photo.

“I wish you were here right now,” were the words waiting for a response.

Rhett sighed. Without thinking, he typed, “I could be there in minutes, baby. Just let me know.” He hit send before realizing that his words sounded…suggestive. He hoped that Link didn’t take it that way. Well, he kind of did… But he knew that Link was uncomfortable with anything more than kissing, and he didn’t want to upset the person he cared about most in the world.

Rhett’s heart began racing when he saw the bubble that told him Link was typing a response. The bubble disappeared for a while, which only made Rhett more anxious. When a text finally did come through, Rhett relaxed.

“It’s not too late?” Rhett glanced at the clock. It was 11:00.

“Course not.” Rhett would drop anything he was doing at any time of night if Link wanted him to.

The bubble came back.

“Could you?”

“Heading out now.” Rhett added a smiley face for good measure.

He slipped out of bed and put on a pair of jeans as well as the t-shirt he had lazily discarded onto the floor earlier. He glanced at himself in the mirror, making sure he looked presentable. His hair hadn’t gotten too messed up from his pillow yet. He slipped on a pair of sneakers and grabbed his keys in a rush, not wanting to make Link wait.

For LA, traffic was light. Rhett made it to Link’s house in 15 minutes. He knocked on the door, and almost immediately, it swung open. Now Rhett could see what was missing from the selfie. Link’s shirt was a loose white blouse. Some chest hair peaked out from the neckline, but it wasn’t too noticeable. Link’s broad shoulders were somehow masked by the fabric. Rhett didn’t understand, but he didn’t try to. Rhett could see a lacey pink bra under the white fabric, creating the illusion of small breasts. Link was also wearing a pair of tight denim shorts. She had made no attempt to get rid of the ridiculous amount of hair, but it didn’t break the illusion for Rhett, and Link’s confidence didn’t waver because of it. Rhett brought his head up from Link’s new outfit and made eye contact, flashing a tired smile.

“Listen, I’m not just saying this,” Rhett started, brushing a loose piece of hair behind Link’s ear, “you look really pretty. And happy.”

Link blushed, breaking the eye contact and shifting awkwardly, but pulled Rhett in for a hug. Rhett took one of Link’s hands in his own and led her to the couch, where they sat together, Link still holding on to Rhett’s torso.

“I had so much fun tonight, Rhett,” Link enthused. “I got so many good tips from the crew but also from employees at the mall… I haven’t tried them all out yet, but so far I think the way my makeup is right now is just great! I even did a lot of it myself! Stevie helped with the eyeliner and mascara. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do that…”

Rhett didn’t notice it before, but the shape of Link’s face even seemed a bit more feminine. Probably due to the fact that they’d known each other for 30 plus years, Link pretty much read Rhett’s mind. “It’s called contouring! Do you think it worked?”

Rhett nodded enthusiastically. “Link, I just…” Rhett shook his head in disbelief, different thoughts and emotions overwhelming him. “I’m so happy for you… You… You’re beautiful. You were a god damn sexy man, and I only just allowed myself to think that… And that _man_ is already gone…kinda… But… But the girl in front of me… She’s just as attractive.”

Link placed a hand on the back of Rhett’s neck and kissed him deeply. Rhett moaned against Link’s slightly glossed, peanut butter-flavored lips, wrapping his arms around his partner’s slight frame and pulling her closer. Link threw one leg over Rhett’s lap, now straddling him. The kiss grew more and more heated, and Link was just barely starting to grind her hips when the kiss broke, and both participants were panting.

“Rhett, I—“ Link gasped.

Rhett shook his head and laughed to himself. “I haven’t even taken you on a date yet…”

Link giggled and sat back down onto the couch, suddenly deep in thought.

“Are you okay?” Rhett asked her, slightly worried.

“You know…you know what I said about not wanting to… _fool around_ …until I had surgery?”

“Yeah?”

“I… I don’t know if that’s the case anymore…” Link blushed again. “I… I don’t…”

“Link, you don’t have to make that decision yet,” he said, gently rubbing her shoulder.

Link nodded, almost reluctantly. Rhett could tell that they were just dangerously close to moving into some unknown, possibly unwanted territory. He didn’t want Link to do something that would be upsetting in any way.

“Shit,” Rhett grumbled under his breath. In his rush to get out of the house, he had forgotten all about the gift he’d gotten for Link. This would’ve been the perfect moment to present it. Rhett made a mental note to bring it to their first date together.

“Everything okay?” Link asked.

“Yeah. I was just thinking… Do you want to go to a nice dinner after work tomorrow?”

“How nice?” Link squinted suspiciously.

Rhett shrugged. “Nice enough. I’ll be paying, of course. Since I’m a _gentleman_ and all…”

Link’s eyes rolled and she scoffed playfully.

“I know how to treat a lady right!” Rhett teased further. “Just wait and see.”

“We’ve got our first date planned… That’s exciting!” Link grinned, but the grin slowly faded. “Rhett, I’ve… I’ve wanted this for…for almost two decades. I’ve wanted you to take me out on a romantic…something…for twenty whole years…”

Rhett pulled Link into a gentle embrace, rubbing gentle circles on her back. “I’m sorry I was so oblivious. I’m sorry I made you wait so long. But—“

“I don’t care, Rhett. We got here eventually.” Link nuzzled into the base of Rhett’s neck, holding on tightly.

“Yes, we did.” Rhett’s mind pictured Link’s possible reactions to the necklace. He was really excited to give it to her.

“Rhett?” Link’s soft, nervous voice broke Rhett from his imagination.

“What is it?”

“Will you stay with me tonight? I…I’d like the…”

“You want to cuddle with this giant teddy bear?” Rhett teased further. Turning what Link was asking for into a joke was the only way he could be comfortable about the situation and not a puddle of nerves. He immediately felt bad for teasing, but Link didn’t mind.

Giggling, she responded, “Yeah. I would.”

It was Rhett’s turn to blush this time. “I’d like to cuddle with you too.” Rhett realized how childish that sounded the moment it escaped his mouth.

Link’s voice was sheepish. “I mean, I know how light of a sleeper you are… And I don’t want to bother you, so—“

“Stop it. I mean, you’re right. In past relationships, I’ve made pillow barriers and crap so my partner wouldn’t touch me. But, Link, for whatever reason, I genuinely want to be right up against you all night long.”

Link let out a tiny laugh, raising an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Well, today was exhausting, so…”

Rhett stood and helped Link to do the same. They walked off into Link’s bedroom hand in hand. Rhett, having not brought any sweatpants over, just undressed to his underwear and left it at that. Link, however, began rummaging through shopping bags.

“What are you looking for?”

“The nightgown I got!”

Rhett wanted to tell Link that plenty of girls wore boxers and shorts to sleep, but restrained himself. If Link was most comfortable wearing nightgowns, then it was none of his damn business.

“Aha!” Link shouted victoriously. She hurried into the bathroom and changed.

When Rhett heard the sink, he realized he didn’t have a toothbrush with him either. He couldn’t brush his teeth. He sighed. When Link returned, the makeup was gone, and her frame was covered in a flowing pastel purple nightie that barely passed her crotch. Rhett had to take a deep breath. Link looked really fucking hot.

“Uh,” he stammered, “I didn’t realize I was gonna be staying over, so I don’t have anything to brush my teeth with…”

“Oh well. Sorry, but you’re not using mine.” Link shuddered at the thought of the shared germs.

Rhett was instantly pulled from his R-rated thoughts and laughed loudly. “We were just making out!”

“It’s different!” Link insisted.

“NOT REALLY!”

After a while of laughter, they dropped the subject, and Link switched off the lights. Rhett was overly conscious of lack of minty freshness in his mouth, but he tried his best to ignore it. Rhett and Link both climbed into the bed. Link immediately wiggled over to Rhett, wrapping her limbs around Rhett’s body. Rhett wrapped his own arms around Link, and closed his eyes. Rhett had known Link for thirty years, but it still shocked him how quickly Link could fall asleep. Based on Link’s breathing alone, Rhett knew she was asleep. Rhett began looking around the room, bored. He wasn’t lying when he said he wanted to cuddle with Link. He really did. But that hadn’t changed the fact that he had difficulty falling asleep when another person was tangled up with him. It took him an excruciating amount of time to join Link in dreamland, but he got there eventually. And when he did, he didn’t wake up once. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *~*~*~*~*~*PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE STARTING THE CHAPTER*~*~*~*~*~*
> 
> In this chapter, Link is the victim of a hate crime. (The actual crime is not witnessed by anyone, so the details are not included.) I was weary of writing it in, but it's the vision I had of the story. I know that this is an extremely sensitive subject. But unfortunately, hate crimes do happen. I almost didn't take this fic in the direction that I wanted to because I was worried about people thinking I was exploiting the horrific reality of hate crimes in the LGBT community. I really just want this fic to be as realistic as possible. I recently (last year) came out as gender fluid, and while my family has been extremely supportive and I'm living in a very open, liberal area, I'm still scared to present myself how I really want to. Hate crimes are (unfortunately) very common in this world, and I felt like not including it in the fic when I wanted to would be trying to erase the fact that they exist. Unfortunately, life as a trans person is not an easy one--it's not sunshine and rainbows all the time. I want the fic to be as realistic as possible. 
> 
> Thanks for reading this, and I hope you enjoy the fic. 
> 
> PS: Rhett's outfit is the one he wore to the streamys:  
> (http://66.media.tumblr.com/f07fa630e76e10d09a120275f55a59c0/tumblr_o349g2M4lS1v6y4l8o1_500.jpg)  
> and Link's is this dress from H&M:  
> (http://www.hm.com/us/product/47989?article=47989-C#article=47989-C)

“Cut!” Stevie announced the end of their third episode that day.

Rhett and Link both relaxed in their seats. “So, I have no idea how I managed it, but I got us reservations for a really nice dinner tonight,” Rhett muttered to Link.

“Which restaurant?”

“It’s a surprise,” Rhett teased.

“Please, Rhett. I need to know how formal it is before I get ready!” Link begged.

“I think we’d all like to know, too,” Lizzie laughed.

“Yeah, spill the beans!” Eddie chimed in from the next room.

Rhett chuckled. “Alright, fine. I got reservations for Providence.” Everyone gasped.

“What!?” Link was shocked. “How?”

“Like I said,” Rhett said with a shrug, “I have no idea how I got so lucky.”

“For what time?”

“Seven.”

Link had a troubled look on her face. “I, uh… I think I’m gonna have to leave here early if I’m gonna be ready in time.”

“Link, we leave work at five. That’s not enough time?”

“I… I can’t… I…” Link was staring at her hands in her lap and fiddling with her fingers.

“Hey, look at me! What’s wrong?” Rhett asked, placing a hand on Link’s shoulder.

“Rhett, I have no idea how to present myself as a female in this kind of a situation yet. Hell, I barely know how to do that in _any_ situation.” Link was starting to get upset—maybe even panicky. Rhett had no idea what to say to make Link feel better, and that was an awful feeling. Luckily, somebody had his back.

“Hey, sweetie,” Lizzie spoke softly, without moving from her post off camera, “I don’t have any plans. If you need any help, I’d—“

“Oh gosh, would you?” Link practically begged.

“Of course!”

*~*~*~*~*

Rhett tied and untied three different ties. He was getting frustrated with himself. He knew he was being too particular, but he wanted this date to be perfect. He wanted to look his absolute best. He picked up a fourth tie, this one being an orange and white plaid bowtie. It took him a few attempts to get it tied properly, but he got it eventually. He found a matching pocket square. He stood back and scrutinized himself in the full-length mirror. His shirt was white with tiny deep blue polka dots. He was wearing a navy jacket and dark pants. He placed his hands in his pockets and turned slightly. “Damn, I look good…” He chuckled to himself before shooting Link and Lizzie a group text saying he was on his way.

When Rhett arrived at Link’s place and rang the doorbell, it took a while for the door to be opened; and, when it was, it was Lizzie who opened it. She was holding a small, black tube in her right hand.

Grinning, she invited him in. “I’m just finishing up with Link’s mascara. I gotta admit, it’s really weird not only being at one of my bosses’ houses, but getting them ready for a date.”

Rhett lowered his voice and leaned in close, ensuring that Link couldn’t hear him from the other room. “Lizzie, thank you so much for doing this. I wish I could be there for Link when it comes to this stuff, but…I just can’t.”

“It’s really no problem!” she beamed.

She started to head back into the bathroom to finish with Link’s makeup, but when Rhett began following her, she stopped him.

“What?” he asked.

“It’s gotta be a surprise! Stay put.”

“Fine,” he chuckled.

It only took a couple of minutes for Lizzie to pop back out of the bathroom. “I present to you, your beautiful date for the evening: Link Neal!”

Lizzie stepped aside and Link walked into the room, doing a hesitant, shy twirl. Link was wearing a long, flowing white dress. The halter top dress ended just at the ankles. Her makeup was done impeccably as well. Rhett made an internal note of how absolutely amazing blood red lipstick looked on Link.

Rhett’s eyes went wide in astonishment. “Link… You… You look… You look stunning…” he stammered.

Link blushed a deep red and hid her face. “It’s a maxi dress because my legs still look like a sasquatch’s. And the halter top hides my chest hair…” Link laughed awkwardly before picking up a black cardigan. “And this is for my arm hair…”

“You’re beautiful, Link. Really. Really beautiful. Like, really…”

Link started giggling uncontrollably. “You sound like an idiot.”

Now it was Rhett’s turn to blush. Rhett wiped the nervous sweat on his palms off onto his pants. “I mean, you—“

“I hate to interrupt whatever’s going on,” Lizzie spoke, “but if you two don’t get a move on, you’ll miss your reservation.”

Rhett checked the time on his cellphone. She was right. “Thanks, Lizzie.”

The three adults made their way outside. Link locked the door and followed Rhett to his car. Before Lizzie left, Link stopped her. “Thank you so much, Lizzie. I cannot tell you how much you doing that meant to me…”

“You don’t have to, Link. Really,” she smiled warmly. “I’d be happy to help any time.”

 Link pulled their crew member in for a quick hug before saying farewell and hopping into the passenger side of Rhett’s car.

The couple arrived at Providence at 6:50 pm, just in time for their reservation. They were seated immediately. Link was in total awe, looking around the room wide-eyed the entire time.

“It’s really beautiful in here, Rhett,” Link whispered.

The area of the restaurant that they’d been seated in was warmly lit by fairy lights and candles on each table. The couple’s table was in the back corner, which Rhett was happy about—it gave them some privacy.

Their waiter—a tall, skinny man around the couple’s age with his dark hair in a similar style as Rhett’s—poured them some water.

“My name is Jackson, and I’ll be serving you this evening. Would you like some bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil?”

“That’d be wonderful, thank you,” Rhett said with a nod.

“Excellent. I’ll be back to take your drink orders shortly.”

“Thank you,” Link smiled warmly.

Once the couple was alone, Rhett reached his arm around the candle in the center of the table, wordlessly asking for Link’s hand. Link held onto Rhett’s hand, and Rhett ran his thumbs gently over Link’s knuckles. “How are you doing?” Rhett asked.

“Good…”

“ _Just_ _good_?” Rhett teased.

Link let out a loud, genuine laugh. “Well, I’m starving… But if I ignore that, I’m perfect. I’m in this beautiful restaurant with a gorgeous date…”

“ _That’s_ more like it!” Rhett winked.

“You’re a dork…”

Rhett sighed and looked down at the table. “Link, can I just be real for a second?”

“Is… Is everything okay?”

Rhett looked up quickly, noticing the nervousness in Link’s voice. “Oh, yeah! Everything’s…everything’s amazing. It’s just… I can’t believe we’re here right now… Doing this… We’re on a date, Link! Me and you! On a freaking date! And you… You’re… You’re you! You were brave enough to come out as trans and… And just… I’m amazed. Just think about all the other universes out there where…”

“Oh, gosh. Please don’t ruin this with another multiverse theory rant!” Link giggled, rolling her eyes for dramatic effect.

“I’m serious, though!” Rhett urged.

“I know you are! It’s… It really is amazing, Rhett. I can’t believe this is happening either. I… I love you _so_ much. And… It makes me sad that it took us so long to get here…” Link swallowed hard.

“Oh no, please don’t start crying,” Rhett pleaded in a hushed tone.

Link took a calming breath. “I’m not choked up because of the sadness. It’s because of the happiness. Thanks to the crew members’ help with the shopping…and Lizzie helping me with doing my makeup tonight… I honestly feel… I feel beautiful, Rhett. I know that I still look like a man who just—“

“Stop for a second. Don’t say that, Link. You’re a woman. You look like a woman.”

“I wish I could agree with you, Rhett. But nobody—not one person—would pass me on the street and just assume that I was born female.”

Rhett sighed, frustrated. “I mean…”

“It’s okay, Rhett. I’ll get there eventually.” Link smiled and squeezed Rhett’s hand.

The waiter interrupted their conversation, placing the bread and oil onto the table. Rhett and Link both thanked the man.

“Are you ready to order your drinks?” Jackson asked politely.

The couple simultaneously realized that they’d completely forgotten about their menus. “Uhhh,” Rhett started, frantically glancing around the page in front of him. “Do you just have Diet Coke?” Rhett cringed at himself for ordering a Coke at a fine-dining michelin-starred restaurant.

Jackson chuckled. “Yes, sir. We do.” Turning to Link, he asked, “And for you, Miss?”

Rhett perked up at the word the waiter used, glancing over to Link quickly. Link was grinning from ear to ear. The look in her eye made it obvious that the one word made her entire evening.

“I’ll have the same,” Link said with a blush.

Jackson scribbled the order on his tiny notepad. “Two Diet Cokes! I assume you need some more time to look over the menu?”

“Yes please,” Rhett laughed. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. I’ll have those drinks for you in no time.” Jackson gave the couple a smile before heading back to the kitchen.

“Link,” Rhett started. His heart began to beat faster—he could feel himself beginning to get sweaty. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he needed to give Link the gift at that exact moment. “I… I have…” He started digging in his pockets, trying to remember which one he put it in.

“Rhett, what…? Did you…?”

Rhett finally found the box in the inside pocket of his jacket. He pulled it out and placed it on the table. “I… When you were out shopping with the crew, I decided to get something for you myself. I… I was worried you still didn’t think I accepted what you told me...about your identity… And I thought maybe…” He swallowed hard, trying to keep his nerves at bay. “I thought maybe getting you something would… I don’t know. I… I just want you to know that I’m going to be here for you no matter what. Right by your side…always. And—“

“Oh, Rhett… I… Stop talking, please…” Link was grinning wildly, her eyes beginning to well up with tears.

“Don’t cry, you might not even like what I got you,” Rhett laughed, also beginning to feel himself welling up with emotion.

“You know damn well that I’d love anything you got me.”

Link slid the long black box to her side of the table and stared at it for a moment before gaining the courage to open it. The stones in the necklace glimmered in the light from the fairy lights and the candle.

“Rhett… It’s…”

“Is it okay?” Rhett asked hopefully. “I wasn’t sure what to get because—“

“Rhett, please. Stop,” Link laughed. “It’s gorgeous… But… You didn’t need to do this…”

“I… Do you want me to put it on you?” Rhett whispered.

Link blushed, looking anywhere but at Rhett. “Uh… Okay…”

Rhett stood, walking around the table until he was behind Link’s seat. His height as well as the fact that he was the only one in the area standing was enough to draw the attention of nearly all the other patrons. Rhett didn’t mind. He removed the necklace from the box and carefully draped it around Link’s neck. It took him three tries to successfully fasten the clasp. He leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of Link’s head before returning to his own seat.

Link carefully wiped away a tear, miraculously avoiding smearing any makeup. “I’m the luckiest… _woman_ …alive.”

Rhett grinned, his heart fluttering. “And I’m the luckiest man.”

The couple stared into each other’s eyes dreamily for what felt like an eternity. It was Link who broke the trance, awkwardly fumbling with her menu. “We should probably figure out what we’re ordering before the waiter gets back.”

“Oh, yeah. Right. Food.”

Jackson returned shortly after that. He placed a soda in front of both Rhett and Link before asking, “Ready to order?”

“I think so, yeah…” Rhett spoke up. “We’re both going to have the Tasting Menu with the A5 Wagyu.”

“Excellent choice,” Jackson nodded, genuinely pleased with the order. “Are you interested in the wine pairings?”

“Definitely,” Link grinned.

“Even better!” Jackson took the two menus from the table and added, “It’ll be much more enjoyable with the wine instead of the sodas.”

The three adults shared a laugh before the waiter headed off again. Rhett and Link sat in silence, each sipping on their sodas. After Rhett’s present, neither one knew what to say—or if they should say anything. So, instead of worrying about it, they sat and enjoyed the other’s company without words. It wasn’t until both sodas and the bread were gone that one of them spoke.

“That bowtie looks really good on you,” Link mused.

“Thanks,” Rhett laughed. “I, uh… I gotta be honest… I changed several times before I landed on this. I felt like I was in middle school all over again... I haven’t been that nervous before a date since…”

“Since Amber?” Link laughed knowingly. “I remember that too well.”

“Thanks for helping me get ready for that by the way!”

“Yeah, you never did thank me for that, did you?” Link giggled. “But I know what you mean. It’s so weird. We’ve gone out to dinner plenty of times before, but…just labelling it as a date made it so stressful. I’m sure Lizzie was more than happy to finally get rid of me!”

Rhett couldn’t stop staring at the necklace around Link’s neck. It was the perfect choice. The blue of the stones really made the color of Link’s eyes pop. “You’ve got really pretty eyes, ya know that?” Rhett muttered.

“Sorry, what?” Link asked, eyebrow raised. “I didn’t hear what you said.”

Rhett blushed. “I just… Your eyes are really pretty.”

“Oh,” Link laughed shyly.

“Sorry,” Rhett smiled and glanced around the dining room, hoping to once again be interrupted by their waiter at the perfect time, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Um, so I was thinking about calling a few salons to see about getting waxed…” Link changed the subject. “I hope somebody will be willing to do what I want…”

“I’m sure a lot will! Just let me know when your appointment is.”

“You’re still okay with coming with me?” Link wondered.

“Of course! I’ll be right there with you the whole time.”

“Thanks, Rhett. Really.”

Their meal began shortly after that. Each dish that came was an impeccably designed piece of art—so much so that the couple had a hard time bringing themselves to dig in with their utensils. The wine pairings were great as well. Rhett made promises throughout the dinner regarding getting back into it as a hobby. Link lightheartedly rolled her eyes every time. The meal was full of tiny comments of praise for the chef, sappy, cliché words of admiration towards each other, and grunts of pleasure with mouths full of delicious food. When the meal was over, Link was squirming.

“I really need to pee, Rhett… Where do you think the bathrooms are?”

Rhett began glancing around the dining room, but he couldn’t find any sign of bathrooms either. Their place in the corner really limited their view. He spotted Jackson walking back into the kitchen after helping another table, but managed to get his attention before he was gone.

“Ready for the bill?” he asked.

“Yeah, we are. Thank you so much, the food was absolutely incredible,” Rhett mused.

“I’m so glad to hear it! I’ll let the chef know.” Jackson took the table’s bill from his pocket and placed in on the table.

“Can you point us towards the restroom?” Rhett asked.

Jackson glanced over to Link, who was still visibly shifting in her seat. He leaned in close, and with his voice lowered, Jackson said, “There’s a hallway near the kitchen. They’re over there. I’m not sure whether you’d be more comfortable in the women’s or the men’s, but there’s nobody in the men’s at the moment. If you want, I can keep an eye out and make sure—“

“Um… That’s… That’s okay.” Link looked slightly confused, but happy that Jackson was trying to help.

“I just wouldn’t want you getting any hate…”

“It’s okay, really,” Link said, a smile spreading across her face. “Thank you. It means a lot. But I’ll be okay.”

Straightening up, Jackson smiled. “No problem. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed your meal.”

Jackson left the table, carrying the empty plates with him, and Link left shortly after, leaving Rhett alone. The man looked over the bill. The price was nowhere near as much as he thought it’d be, but it was still high. He silently apologized to his bank account as he placed his credit card onto the table with the receipt. He sat back in his chair and downed the last couple of drops from his final glass of wine. Rhett’s mind replayed snippets of conversations from throughout the night over and over again, reveling in each tiny moment. Each content glance that the couple shared was seared into Rhett’s mind. The date really couldn’t have gone any better. The butterflies returned to his stomach again just thinking about the whole night. Jackson showed up and took Rhett’s card, and before Rhett knew it, it was back in his wallet. He took his phone from his pocket to check the time. Link had been gone for a while… Rhett hoped that none of the food had messed with her stomach. After a few more minutes, Rhett decided to head to the bathroom. He wanted to make sure Link was okay.

He opened the door, and the first sight that greeted him was Link on her knees, doubled over on the tiled floor. Her hands were held out, covered in red. Was that…blood?

“Link!?” Rhett gasped, immediately dropping to his knees to join his partner. “Link, what happened!?”

Link looked up to face Rhett. Her eyes were wide open in shock. Blood was spilling from her nose as well as a small gash on her forehead.

“I… Some guy came in… I… I was washing my hands and he… He called me a… a…”

“Oh my God. Oh God. Um… What… What did he look like, Link?” Rhett was furious. Maybe it was the ever-so-slight buzz from the alcohol, but he was ready to go beat the son of a bitch who hurt Link.

“Rhett, please… Stop… I don’t… I’m okay, really.”

“Link, your face is covered in blood! You’re—“

Rhett noticed Link starting to go pale. Well, she was pale already, but she was getting even paler. Her eyes glossed over, and the next thing Rhett knew, he was holding Link in his arms. That’s when Rhett really started to panic. “Uh… Uh… Oh gosh… Uh…” He was looking around the bathroom frantically trying to figure out what to do.

The door of the bathroom squeaked as it was opened, and Rhett thanked God when he saw their waiter’s reflection in the bathroom mirrors. He knew he could trust him.  

“OH GOD!” Jackson yelled. “Oh my God! Is she—“

“Link can’t stand the sight of blood, so… I’m sure that’s why she fainted, but… But some guy attacked… Oh gosh…”

“I’ll call an ambulance!” Jackson darted out of the bathroom.

Link regained consciousness and groggily looked up at Rhett. “I… Oh… I forgot where I was for a second…” Link sighed.

Rhett’s hold on Link tightened when she tried to get up. “No, no. Stay where you are. There’s an ambulance on the way.”

“What!? No, I don’t need an ambulance!” Link fought Rhett’s grip, but Rhett was stronger.

“You _do_ need an ambulance, Link. Please, just sit still…”

Link glanced down at the blood covering her dress, and just as Rhett expected, fainted a second time. Rhett grunted. Whoever did this to Link was a dead man. He’d make sure to bring him to justice.

Jackson entered the bathroom again. “They’re on their way! Police are coming, too.”

Rhett thanked the man profusely, but went silent when Link started muttering, “No… Noooo… No cops…”

“What!? Link, you just got assaulted! We need to catch—“

Link had been emotionless since Rhett found her, but that came to an end. Tears joined the blood on her cheeks. “I just want to go home, Rhett. Please, I don’t want this to get any attention, please…”

Rhett went silent. He wasn’t going to argue with Link there on the bathroom floor. It wasn’t long until the three adults could hear sirens approaching. Link looked up at Rhett, her expression one of absolute misery. “It’s gonna be okay, Link…”

“Rhett, I _am_ okay. _Please_ , just let me stand up!”

“What if you hit your head or something? No, I’m not letting you go anywhere.”

Link gave up and waited for the EMTs to arrive. Jackson had run out to the street to lead them to the bathroom. When they found the couple, the female EMT kneeled down and began assessing Link’s injuries.

The female EMT spoke first. “I’m Sarah and this is Emmett. Can you tell me your name?”

“I… I’m Link…”

Sarah then looked to Rhett for an answer. “I’m Rhett.”

“So sorry we had to meet like this… Link, do you know if you hit your head?”

“I don’t think so. I… I can’t handle blood, so… I was feeling faint as soon as my nose started bleeding… I sat down…”

“That’s great,” Emmett patted Link on the shoulder before turning to his partner. “Sarah, will you get the stretcher?” She nodded and headed back outside.

“She’s fainted three times,” Rhett added in a rush.

“I… I’m fine, really,” Link began to argue again.

“It looks like you are, but we want to take you in just in case. The cut on your cheek is gonna need stitches, which we could do in the truck, but we need to make sure your fainting is really just from the sight of blood and not from some sort of head injury.”

“I really don’t think I hit my head. I was sitting on the floor when I fainted, and I woke up leaning on the wall…”

“I know. It really is just a precaution. We’re gonna wheel you out to the truck. The police are out there to get a statement.”

“I don’t… I don’t want to press charges. I… I just want to forget all about this.”

Rhett let go of Link when the Sarah and Emmett helped her up and onto the stretcher. He stood, and watched as Link was wheeled out of the building. He followed behind, but much slower, deep in thought. He wanted nothing more than to catch the son of a bitch who hurt Link, but for some reason Link didn’t seem like she wanted to go after him at all… Rhett was more than confused. He watched as the police attempted to get a statement from Link. She gave them a general description of the guy, but kept insisting that she didn’t want to press charges, and for them to just forget about it.

Rhett felt absolutely helpless. He felt like it’d been his job to protect Link since they met at six years old, and here he was, thirty years later, probably the first time that Link needed protecting, unable to do anything. He clenched his fists in frustration.

Jackson startled Rhett when he joined him on the sidewalk. “I’m so sorry your date had to end like this… I asked my manager if I could give you this, and he gave me the ‘okay.’” Jackson handed Rhett a gift certificate. “There’s enough on there for three more dates.”

“Thanks.” Rhett gave a halfhearted smile. He really appreciated the gesture, but… He wasn’t sure if Link would ever want to come back to this place.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the long wait!!! I'll try my very best not to leave this for so long again.

Rhett was leaning against the hospital wall alone, watching doctors and nurses rush back and forth. Link was in the room in front of him, but Rhett wasn’t allowed to enter. “Family members only,” he had been told by multiple people. He kept asking to see Link--he was worried about how she was doing. From his place in the hallway, he could hear police officers questioning her further, despite her insisting that she didn’t want to press charges. Rhett had extremely strong mixed feelings about that. On one hand, he desperately wanted to bring the man who did this to justice. He had committed a hate crime, and he needed to be punished. However, Rhett also understood that pressing charges might alert the media, fans, or other YouTubers. Link might be forced to publicly come out when she wasn’t ready to, and Rhett didn’t want to see Link have to go through that. It was an all-around shitty situation, and Rhett felt awful being forced to stand around and watch the events take place. He wanted to step in and help in any way he could, but for the time being, he was confined to the hallway.

Rhett was startled by a buzz in his pocket. He took out his phone and saw a text from Lizzie.

“How’d the date go???” she’d asked.

Rhett sighed. He wasn’t sure how much he should tell her…or if he should tell her anything at all. He decided on putting his phone back into his pocket for the time being. Suddenly, there was a police officer standing in front of him. The gruff, mustached man asked, “Are you Charles’ date?”

“It’s Link,” Rhett corrected him.

“Well, are you?” the cop asked again.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Did you witness—“

“No. I’m sorry, but I didn’t see anything. I can’t give you a statement.”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, the cop said, “Sir, we just want to—“

“Look. I’m sorry, but I didn’t see anything. Can I please see Link now?” Rhett practically begged.

“I’ll check for you.”

The cop entered the room once again. After a couple of minutes, he came back out, along with the other two officers and a nurse.

“Are you Rhett?” the nurse asked.

“Yeah. Can I please see Link now?” Rhett had lost count of how many times he’d asked that same question that night.

“Yes, you may. I’m so sorry for the wait.”

The nurse had Rhett follow her into the hospital room. Link was lying in the bed, staring at the ceiling. She had on a hospital gown, her blood-stained white dress in a pile on the chair next to the bed. Link looked utterly exhausted, and she probably was. Being hounded by police and hospital staff for a couple of hours takes a lot of energy out of a person.

“Link,” Rhett said with a sigh, approaching the bed. “How ya doing?” He placed a hand on her shoulder.

Link’s eyes shut. “I wanna go home, Rhett.”

“I know, baby…”

The nurse spoke up. “You don’t have a head injury, so you’re good to go. I am so sorry about everything that happened tonight, including the police pestering you.”

“It’s okay,” Link muttered, sitting up. “Thank you for your help.”

“You’re very welcome. Just leave the hospital gown on the bed when you leave,” the nurse said as she left the room

Link carefully stood up and began removing the gown. Wincing, she asked Rhett to help. “I’m sorry, but can you untie the back?”

“Of course.” Rhett stepped up and untied the three neat bows holding the gown in place. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore. Really sore. I think I’m gonna have a black eye.”

“Link, I…” Rhett sighed, unsure about how he wanted to continue. “The way tonight ended, just… It breaks my damn heart. Tonight was like a dream, Link. I couldn’t have imagined our date going any better. But, then  _ this _ had to happen. It infuriates me that somebody could do something like this to another person. I just hope that the bastard who did this doesn’t ruin the memory of the other half of the night.”

Link smiled a sad smile, placing the hospital gown onto the bed and pulling on the white dress once more. “I don’t think it will, Rhett. I’ll try not to let it.”

“I, uh… When you were in the ambulance, the waiter gave me a few gift certificates. I don’t even know if you’d want to go back after—“

“What!? A few!?” Link’s eyes widened in shock.

“Uh…yeah?” Rhett wasn’t sure what Link’s reaction meant.

“We get a few free meals at one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles?”

Rhett grinned. “That’s exactly right, Link.”

“Oh my gosh! Damn, I should get beat up more often…”

Rhett’s grin vanished. “Please, don’t say that.”

“I’m sorry. I just…” Link looked at the floor. “I’m honestly trying to not let the reality of what’s going on sink in.”

“I know, Link. I’m sorry.”

The couple was silent for a while. Link was the one who spoke first. “I, uh… I’d kinda like to get out of here now.”

“Oh, right. Sorry. Let’s go.”

The drive back to Link’s place was silent, and not a comfortable silence, either. Both Rhett and Link had many things they wanted to say, but neither of them said a word. When Rhett finally pulled into Link’s driveway, Link got out of the car without a word.

“Are we still filming tomorrow?” Rhett asked, hopeful.

Link nodded and walked to the door without so much as a goodbye. Rhett sighed deeply. He watched as Link unlocked the door and entered the house. He sat in the driveway with his car engine running for nearly ten minutes before he could bring himself to leave. He knew that Link was having a really hard time dealing with what had happened, but wanted to keep it inside.

*~*~*~*

Rhett was standing in the small kitchenette of the studio, sipping on his third cup of coffee. It was nearly 11 a.m. and nobody had heard from Link. The crew was all there, the equipment was all set up for filming, but Link was nowhere to be found. Rhett kept calling and texting, but there had been no response.

“Do you think she’s okay?” Chase asked Rhett.

Rhett didn’t respond immediately. He hadn’t told anyone how the date had ended, but now that Link wasn’t responding, it felt like the necessary thing to do. “Uh, can you grab the others?” Rhett asked.

Chase nodded and left to round up the rest of the crew. Once everyone was standing around, Rhett began speaking.

“So, uh… Link and I had our first date last night,” he began. A few members of the crew cheered, but the intense look on Rhett’s face made them stop almost immediately. “It went absolutely amazingly until we were about to leave. Gosh, um…” Rhett tugged on his beard. “Link used the restroom, and uh… I wasn’t there, so I don’t really know what happened, but… Link got attacked. I went to find her and there was blood. You guys know that she can’t handle the slightest bit of that, so she fainted a few times. We spent a couple of hours at the hospital, but she didn’t have any serious injuries.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the last phrase of Rhett’s story.

“So, she’s physically fine,” Stevie said, “but what about emotionally?”

Rhett chewed on his lip for a moment before responding. “That’s what I’m worried about.” Images of Link’s suicide attempt flashed through his mind.

“You should probably swing by her place,” Chase mumbled, his voice wavering.

Rhett nodded slowly. “You’re right. I’ll do that.” He placed his coffee on the counter and picked up his keys. “I’ll update you guys when I can. I, uh… I think since she hasn’t shown up yet, it’s safe to say we won’t be filming today… I’m so sorry.”

The crew all expressed their sympathy for Link and proceeded to put away the equipment. Rhett left the studio, driving straight to Link’s home. For the entirety of the excruciatingly long 20 minute drive, Rhett was struggling to keep all the horrible possibilities as to why Link wasn’t responding out of his head. He couldn’t let himself think about what might be happening—he’d lose his mind. When he finally arrived at Link’s house and knocked on the door, there was no response. He couldn’t hear footsteps from within. He knocked again, harder this time, but there was still no response. Rhett’s heart started beating faster. He began searching around the porch for the spare key that he knew was hidden somewhere. He finally found it under a flower pot. Hands shaking from his nerves, he managed to open the door.

“Link?” he called out. His voice was met with more silence.

Rhett walked into the living room. Empty. He checked Link’s bedroom next. There were piles of clothes tossed around the room, but Link wasn’t there. He was about to leave when he heard quiet noises coming from the bathroom.

“Link?” he said softly, carefully pushing the door open.

Link was curled up in the fetal position on the bathroom floor, wearing a baggy hoodie and sweatpants, tears streaming down her face. Rhett carefully kneeled down next to Link and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Rhett,” Link choked out between sobs, “I’m sorry.”

Rhett wasn’t sure what he should say. The only thing he could think to say was, “Why are you on the floor?” He winced at the possibly insensitive question, but Link didn’t seem to care.

“I… I was brushing my teeth, getting ready to drive to the office, but…” She slowly sat up, wiping snot away from her nose.

“But what?”

“I’m… I’m covered in bruises, Rhett. Like, even in places I don’t remember getting hit. I’m in so much pain. I can’t stop thinking about what happened. I…” Link paused as Rhett shifted closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “I’m so scared… I don’t want to see anyone, Rhett… I can’t do this anymore. I… I thought…”

Rhett took a few steadying breaths before speaking. “Link, don’t let that one asshole stop you from being who you are…”

“That’s easy for you to say, Rhett. But…the first time I left the house as a woman, I get attacked. The  _ first time _ . I was  _ afraid _ to leave this morning, Rhett. Do you understand!?” Link’s volume rose.

“I do, Link. I do understand that. But… But don’t you remember how the crew reacted? There’s a ton of people out there just like them—people who are completely accepting of you.”

Link stood, wincing at the pain. She lifted up the leg of her sweatpants, revealing a couple of large bruises. She then pulled down the collar of her hoodie, revealing bruises around her chest. “I still think I’m gonna have a black eye.”

Rhett looked down at the rug below him. “I… I’m sorry, Link. I don’t know what to say.”

“I don’t want to deal with this, Rhett. I… I can’t. I just can’t.” Tears began to fall once more.

Rhett stood up. He desperately wanted to pull Link in for a hug, but he knew that doing so would be painful for her. “You can, Link! You’re strong. I know you can—“

“Rhett, I…” Link shook her head, covering her eyes with her hands. “This was such a massive mistake.”

“What? You think being yourself was a mistake?”

Link nodded vigorously, unable to speak through her sobs.

“Can… Can I hug you? I don’t want to touch your bruises…”

Link nodded again.

Rhett stepped closer, gently pulling her into his embrace. “Link, don’t you remember what almost happened? What would have happened if you hadn’t come out? You were so exhausted with keeping it buried that you would have died. You almost did die. I haven’t seen you so happy in… God, I don’t know how long. You can’t go back, Link. You can’t. You’ll… I don’t even want to think about how upset you’d be. I can’t lose you.” Rhett drew a shaky breath as he spoke his last sentence.

“I… I almost did something again earlier, but I didn’t,” Link said between sobs and hiccups.

Rhett squeezed Link tighter. He couldn’t lose Link. He just couldn’t. “Thank you for not doing anything, Link. That’s what I’m talking about, though. You’re so strong. You can get through this. The bruises will be gone in a few days, baby.”

“’Baby,’ Rhett? Really?” Link laughed softly through her tears.  

Rhett ignored the teasing. “Link, can you promise me something?” He nuzzled into Link’s raven hair.

“What is it?”

“Can you promise me that you won’t try to hurt yourself again? There’s a ton of people who—“

Link cut him off. “I think I can keep that promise. For now.”

Rhett clenched his jaw, trying to keep his own tears at bay. “Thank you. I love you so much Link.”

“I know. That’s… That’s why I didn’t do anything earlier. That and…and the fans. I love you too, Rhett.”

The couple stood embracing in the bathroom for a few minutes. Link eventually managed to stop crying, and when she did, she muttered, “I… I think I need to take a nap, Rhett.”

“Okay, I’ll leave you alone.”

“Will you stay here?”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t want to be alone with my thoughts.”

Rhett sighed. “Yeah, I’ll stay. I’ll still be here when you wake up.”

Link sighed, still sniffling. “Thank you, Rhett.”

They parted ways. Link headed off into the bedroom and Rhett went to sit on the couch in the living room. He sent a group text to the crew, explaining that Link was “just still in a lot of pain from last night.” He didn’t feel comfortable telling everyone how intense their conversation had been. He laid his head back and closed his eyes, hoping that Link would be back to her happy self again soon. After about twenty minutes, Rhett began to get bored. The house was completely silent, save for the constant, faint ticking of a clock nearby. Rhett tried to keep himself busy by surfing the web for a while, but nothing was satiating his boredom. His mind kept wandering back to the still upset Link that he had left alone. Rhett was beginning to regret letting Link stay by herself in the bedroom after the talk that they’d had. He wasn’t afraid that she was in there hurting herself or anything, he just felt like he should be there for her…physically. At the same time, he felt like he needed his own reassurance—reassurance that Link was still there with him…that she was okay. He chewed on his lip, thinking about whether or not he should head to the bedroom. If Link was already asleep, he didn’t want to disturb her, but… No. He had to. He needed Link.

Rhett stood and walked to the bedroom quietly. The door was shut, so he knocked lightly, getting no response. He pushed the door open with a quiet but long creak. Link was curled up under the covers, back facing the doorway. The midday sun was shining through the cracks between the opaque beige curtains of the window into the dim room, leaving lines of warmth along the bed.

“Link?” Rhett whispered.

“Hmmm?” Link mumbled, clearly only half awake.

“Do you, um, mind if I join you?”

Link sat up, rubbing her eyes. “What are you saying?”

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to wake you up. I just… After that talk, I felt weird about leaving you…”

“You wanna take a nap with me?”

Rhett was glad that Link’s glasses were left on the bedside table, knowing she wouldn’t be able to see his blush. “If that’s okay with you.”

Link nodded, waving Rhett over. “I’d love that.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I left this for so long!! I honestly got a bit lost with the plot and felt stuck. I hate leaving fics unfinished, tho, so I will be finishing it!! Hopefully you all enjoy it! :D
> 
> Comments/feedback are always appreciated!!! ♥♥ Thanks!

Rhett was sitting in the car, flipping through radio stations, trying his best to be patient while waiting for Link to come outside so they could carpool to work together. After about ten minutes, worry began to creep into his head. Rhett worried about Link easily lately. Through their entire friendship, Link had always been the more anxious one. Rhett, being the larger and more confident of the two, spent a lot of their adolescence sticking up for Link and protecting him...her. Rhett shook his head. It’d been a while since he’d made that mistake. He was about to get out of the car and ring the doorbell when he saw the front door of Link’s home open. Rhett smiled, seeing Link close and lock the door before turning to face the car, a big grin on her face. Link was wearing a flowing asymmetrical white blouse and a sky blue skirt that was just a tad bit too long, dragging on the ground as she walked. 

Rhett unlocked the car door, allowing Link to hop into the passenger seat. She closed the door and buckled her seatbelt before turning to Rhett and saying in a singsong voice, “Hello!”

Rhett smiled, laughing quietly. “Mornin’. You look beautiful today.”

Link turned to the window, too shy to face Rhett. “Uh, thanks.”

“You’re super cheery today, too… It’s… It’s nice to see. I don’t know if something happened, but--”

Link interrupted Rhett, turning to face him once more. “Nothing happened. I just… I don’t know why, but I woke up feeling extra confident and just… I don’t know. I feel good.”

Rhett leaned in and gave Link a gentle peck on the cheek in response. “I cannot express to you how happy I am to hear that,” he whispered before starting the car and beginning the commute to work.

“I, uh… I dunno if you noticed, but I do have some slight bruising around my eye,” Link muttered after a few moments of silence.

“Shit, really?”

“Yeah…”

“Think makeup could cover it?” Rhett asked.

“Yeah. It should.”

“It’s light enough that I didn’t notice, but our Sherlock Holmes-like fans catch everything,” Rhett mused, trying to be upbeat.

Link laughed. “Too true. It’ll be fine.”

The two arrived at the office after all of the crew and were welcomed enthusiastically. People were obviously greatly relieved to see Link back at work and feeling well. The mood of the entire building was extremely light and playful, unlike it had been for a while. Rhett and Link sat at their respective desks in their office while their crew members spread throughout the studio, got ready for filming, created things for future episodes, and tended to anything else that needed taking care of. Rhett and Link’s office was silent, save for the tapping of keyboard keys. After a while, Link let out a long, drawn out sigh.

“You okay?” Rhett asked, looking over his laptop screen at Link.

Link smiled a nervous smile. “Yeah, I just… I booked an appointment at a salon downtown.”

“Salon?” Rhett asked, raising his eyebrow. “What for?”

“To get waxed,” Link reminded him.

“You’re not gonna get it all done at once, are you?” Rhett’s voice was full of concern.

“I think if I were to break it up into multiple appointments, the pain from the first one would be too much and I’d wimp out,” Link explained.

Rhett chuckled. “You said it, not me.” He paused before continuing, “Still want me to come with you?”

“If you don't have anything else going on…”

“Link, you know I’d clear my schedule if I had to. When's the appointment?”

Link grinned, heart warmed by Rhett’s answer. “Six.”

“An hour after work?”

Link nodded. “I didn't want to push it too far out because then, I’d be worrying about it constantly.”

“Yeah, might as well get it over with…”

Link was about to respond when they heard Stevie’s voice calling for them from somewhere else in the studio. They were almost ready to begin filming. Suddenly realizing that she was wearing a blouse and skirt instead of the usual button-down or tee and skinny jeans, Link sighed. “I, uh… I need to go change. Oh, and try to cover my bruise with makeup.”

“Oh, right… Should I just meet you on set, or?”

“Sure.”

Rhett stood and lovingly patted Link on the back as he passed her. When he arrived at the set and sat in his place behind the desk, the crew asked where Link was. “Just changing and covering up a bruise with some makeup,” he explained.

They all waited around for about ten minutes before they started to get restless. What was taking Link so long?

“Do you think I should go offer to help with the makeup?” Lizzie asked.

“Maybe,” Rhett replied. “I'll go see what's up.”

The man wandered through the hallway towards the dressing room, unsure of what to expect. When he entered, he was relieved to see Link leaning against the counter by the mirror, clearly contemplating something. She was shirtless and the skirt was nowhere to be found--she was only wearing a pair of lacy red panties. Rhett looked to the floor and uncomfortably knocked on the doorframe to make Link aware of his presence.

Link jumped, gasping slightly. “Rhett! Oh, gosh, uh…” Link grabbed her skirt, which Rhett hadn’t seen piled on the countertop, and covered her front with it.

“I, uh… I was just coming to see if you were almost ready. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I just can’t… I don’t… I don’t feel comfortable wearing any of this, Rhett. I…”

“Any of what?” Rhett was confused. The dressing room was full of his and Link’s clothing--clothes they’d been wearing for years.

“My old clothes, Rhett. I… It feels wrong.”

Rhett joined Link in leaning against the counter and began tugging at his beard, trying to decide how to respond appropriately. He was afraid of offending Link, but he felt like he needed to say something that he’d been thinking about for a while. Beginning carefully, he stated bluntly, “Link, I’m gonna say something, and I just want you to know that I mean absolutely no offense…”

Link turned to look up at Rhett. “Um… Okay… Go on…”

“I just… I want you to wear what makes you happiest and most comfortable, but I just want to stress the fact that women wear skinny jeans and button down shirts, too. I hate to see you stressed  about this kind of thing. I mean, for God’s sake, if wearing lacy blouses and skirts make you happy, go for it. I just… I hate to see you completely throw away all of those clothes because maybe you think they’re not ‘girly’ enough or whatever. T-shirts and jeans are--”

“Rhett,” Link interrupted the man, a slow smile creeping onto her face.

“I’m sorry, I kinda started ranting there, didn’t I?” Rhett looked at his feet. “I--”

“I think if anyone else were to say that to me, I’d find it offensive, but… I mean… Thanks for being honest. I…” Link sighed. “I think once I can pass as female a little better, I’d be more comfortable wearing all my old clothes again, but…”

When Link trailed off and it was clear that she wasn’t going to start speaking again, Rhett said, “I understand. I won’t bring it up again.” He wrapped an arm around Link’s bare, slender waist and whispered into her ear, “While we’re being honest, you look damn hot in those panties…”

“Oh, gosh, Rhett…” Link blushed furiously, stepping away from the counter. Flustered and trying to hold back giggles, she started digging through clothes and began getting dressed. “We gotta get going.”

From Rhett’s standpoint, filming for the day went wonderfully. The schedule was about to be complete, as soon as this final video was finished. Although the episode of Good Mythical More wasn’t going how anyone had expected it to, it was an episode full of giggles and pure silliness. While wrapping things up, Rhett laughed boisterously and pointed at Link, saying, “Don’t blame me for this. It was his idea.”

With high spirits in the room, Stevie signaled the end to the day’s recording session. The crew congratulated Rhett and Link on a successful handful of episodes before slowly making their way to their next responsibilities. Rhett turned to give Link a celebratory high five but noticed a frown on her face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Link merely shook her head. “It’s… It’s nothing.”

Link stood and began to walk back towards the dressing room, and Rhett trailed closely behind. “It’s obviously something. What happened to all of that awesome honesty a few hours ago? You can talk to me, Link,” Rhett insisted.

Unbuttoning the plaid shirt she was wearing, Link muttered, “Rhett, I know that. And I know you didn’t mean to upset me, but--”

“Crap, did I say something? What did I do?” Rhett’s expression alone made it obvious that he was deeply upset by the thought of hurting Link.

Link faced away from Rhett and pulled on the blouse she’d been wearing that morning. “You didn’t do anything, really. It’s just… That entire time, it was just, ‘Link, he does this, he says this, blah blah blah.’”

“Shit. Link, I--”

“No, Rhett. You don’t have to apologize, really. Right now, I’d… I’m nowhere near ready to come out to the fans. I’m just not. I don’t know when or if I ever will be. So, I really do want you to keep using masculine pronouns while we film and stuff, but… It still doesn’t feel great.”

Rhett sighed and nodded, watching Link step out of her skinny jeans and back into her skirt. “I’m sorry. I really am. I’m sorry that you have to go through this while trying to keep it from the public. I wish it was easier, Link. I…” Rhett shook his head, unable to find the words to express the guilt he was feeling.

“It’s okay, Rhett. Things will… Things will improve in time. I’m obviously already a million times happier than I was just a few weeks ago. With you and the crew by my side, I’m… I’m doin’ good. It’s just gonna keep being hard for a while. I’ll be ready to tell the fans eventually, I think, but… Just not yet. And I, uh… I think I’m willing to deal with the constant misgendering for now… I think…”

Rhett frowned at Link’s last sentence. He frowned because all he wanted was for Link to be happy and confident and to be herself. He hated that Link wanted him to continue to upset her. He hated that Link didn’t feel comfortable with coming out publically. He hated it, but he understood. It made sense. And Rhett hated that it made sense. It wasn’t fair. But both internetainers knew that if Link came out, they were risking the loss of thousands of viewers and hateful comments, among other things that nobody wanted. Rhett placed a hand on Link’s shoulder, turning her towards him.

“Link?”

“What is it?”

“I love you so fucking much. I love you and I cannot fucking wait to walk the rest of this journey with you. It’s going to be long and difficult, but so fucking rewarding.”

Link’s eyes widened in surprise. The comment seemed like it had come out of nowhere, but that didn’t change just how much it meant to Link. If anything, it meant more that way. Link slowly wrapped her arms around Rhett’s waist and stood on the balls of her feet, allowing her to leave a gentle kiss on the man’s lips.

“I love you more, Rhett.”

The rest of the work day went by slowly, but not in a negative way. Things were calm and relaxed, people were laughing all throughout the building, but everyone clearly had been getting their work done at the same time. Despite the issue during filming, the day overall was a huge success. At 4:45, crew members began to leave as they reached a good stopping point in their responsibilities. As the work day came closer and closer to its end, Link began to get more and more nervous about the upcoming appointment. After their conversation in the dressing room, Rhett and Link hadn’t spoken to each other. Rhett could tell that Link was trying to distract herself from worrying about the appointment, but as time continued to tick on, it became impossible.

“Link,” Rhett called down the hall while looking at his watch, “We should get going now!”

Link turned the corner into Rhett’s line of sight, clearly looking distressed. “Gosh, Rhett. I’m freaking out.”

“It’s gonna be okay! We both have gotten waxed on the show and it hurt, but it wasn’t that bad!”

Link looked up at Rhett, expression clearly showing that she wasn’t buying what Rhett was saying. “You were complaining about the pain for like, a month.”

Rhett sighed. “Link, you don’t have to do this. You could shave.”

Link shook her head, taking a deep breath. “No, I have to. I do. It’ll be okay.”

The two took a few minutes to clean up around the studio before hopping into Rhett’s car to head to the appointment. As Rhett drove, Link instructed Rhett on how to get to the salon she’d booked the appointment at, reading from her phone. They arrived ten minutes before the scheduled time, so they sat in the car for a moment to talk.

“You’re gonna have to hold my hand the entire time, okay?” Link made Rhett promise.

“Of course. I’m gonna be right there with you the whole time,” the man insisted.

“How long do you think this is gonna take?”

Rhett took Link’s hand in his own, stroking her palm with his thumb. “I don’t know, but it’s gonna be okay, Link. Why don’t we just go in there and get it over with?”

Link took a deep, shaky breath before nodding and hopping out of the car. Rhett followed, locking the doors before the two approached the building. Rhett opened the door for Link, and as soon as they entered the clean, warmly lit building, they were hit with the strong scent of patchouli. Rhett breathed in deeply, and muttered, “Smells good in here.” Link nodded in agreement. They approached the candle-covered front desk, and the receptionist introduced herself.

“Hello there, gentlemen! I’m Carrie, do you have an appointment with someone?”

Link frowned, but didn’t correct the woman. “Um, yeah. I think it’s with Denise?”

“Alright! I’ll go grab her!”

As Carrie disappeared through a doorway, Link sighed. “You doin’ okay?” Rhett asked. “Sorry about that…”

Link shrugged. “It’s alright. I don’t wanna make a big deal about it.”

Rhett placed his hand on the small of Link’s back in an attempt to be comforting. He was about to speak when Carrie and who he assumed to be Denise walked back through the door. Carrie sat back down at the desk while a woman in her twenties with long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail approached them. She shook Link’s hand first, then Rhett’s. “Nice to meet you! I’m Denise, I guess I’ll be waxing you tonight?”

Link nodded. “Yep. I’ll, uh… I’ll be honest. I’m nervous.”

“Oh, it’ll be okay! I’ll work fast. I just gotta say one thing really quickly… I’m a big fan. The waxing episode was by far my favorite, for obvious reasons! Is all of this for a video, too?” she waved her hand, motioning toward Link’s outfit.

Rhett swallowed hard, carefully withdrawing his hand from Link, his heart sinking. Rhett’s blood ran cold with nervousness. This woman knew exactly who they were, and that fact would make this appointment a lot more grueling than it would’ve otherwise been. Rhett was planning on sitting by Link’s side, holding her hand tightly, running his fingers through her hair, and comforting her every step of the way. Now that they knew this girl was a fan, things would be different. He’d have to keep the affectionate touches to a minimum. They could just be honest with Denise and ask her to keep a secret, but they’d just met. There was no way of knowing whether or not they could trust her.

“Uh, y--yeah. It is, actually,” Link lied to her quickly. “Well, the waxing is for one video. This, uh… We were filming another video, and I didn’t have time to change before the appointment…”

Rhett was impressed by how quickly and naturally Link’s lie rolled off the tongue.

“Awesome! I’m so honored to be able to help out! Follow me back!” She turned and walked through the same doorway once more.

Rhett and Link followed her down a hallway with paintings of landscapes hanging on the wall, past a few rooms, until they reached an open room with a table on it. It too was lit by candlelight, had dark red drapes hanging on the wall, and in the corner, sitting on an end table, was a small stone fountain. Relaxing, new-age music played quietly from a speaker hidden somewhere.

“So, when you made your appointment, you said you wanted a full body waxing. Do you mean everything, or--”

“Yes, everything,” Link nodded.

“Okay. Then I’ll just ask you to undress and cover yourself with one of the towels under the table. I’ll step out for a moment and give you some privacy.”

Once she was out in the hallway and the door was shut, Link began undressing. Rhett sat in a small chair in the back of the room. Link turned away from Rhett before removing her blouse and skirt. She hesitated before removing the lace panties. Link placed the clothing in a pile on the table before finding a towel and wrapping it around her waist. “Can you, uh… Can you hold onto my clothes?”

“Sure.” Rhett stood and grabbed the pile of clothing, tucking the panties into the skirt in an attempt to hide them. Rhett wasn’t sure how quickly Denise would be back, so he quickly said in a hushed tone, “Link, I’m so sorry she recognized us. I’ll still hold your hand if--”

“It’s okay,” Link interrupted him.

Rhett sighed. Right then, there was a gentle knock on the door, quickly followed by Denise entering the room. “We can start wherever you’d like, front or back.”

“Um… Which hurts the worst?”

“Everyone’s different, honestly. But based on the waxing episode of GMM, I’d guess your front would hurt the worst. We can leave the bikini area for last. Or first, if you want to get the worst out of the way immediately.”

Link sighed, rubbing her eyes. “Uh, let’s start on my front.”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll start with your chest and work my way down to your legs, then we’ll switch to the back. Does that sound good?”

Link nodded in response, laying down flat on the table.

“I love that Rhett came along for support!” Denise gushed. “You gonna hold hands like you did in the video?”

Rhett made eye contact with Link, wordlessly asking her if she wanted him to. Without Link even needing to nod, Rhett knew he should move in to hold Link’s hand. “Link’s gonna need to brace...himself on something.” Rhett hoped that Denise didn’t pick up on his pause before the masculine pronoun. Based on her response, he didn’t think she did. Link gripped Rhett’s hand, and Rhett squeezed twice, signaling to Link that he was there for her.

As the waxing started, Link was somehow managing to keep the screams at bay, much to Rhett’s surprise. He knew that if he were in Link’s place, he’d be shrieking. Instead, Link squeezed Rhett’s hand as tightly as possible, groaning and grunting the entire time. When Denise reached the edge of the towel around Link’s waist, things got awkward. Rhett knew that this would be uncomfortable enough, but the added factor of Denise being a fan made it worse. If Rhett were being honest, he was shocked that Link didn’t stop her.

“Now,” she stated. “Do you want me to just do a bikini wax, or do you want a Brazilian? If we just do the bikini, you can cover yourself with the towel while I work around it. Otherwise…”

Link sighed, looking up at Rhett with wide, nervous eyes. “I… I want it all gone.”

Rhett was surprised by Link’s answer. What was Denise thinking when Link said that? What video would they be filming that required all of Link’s pubic hair to be gone? Rhett stayed quiet, watching as Denise allowed Link to remove the towel. He noticed Denise looking at him as he stared at Link’s nudity, and quickly glanced at the ceiling.

“I apologize in advance,” Denise said. “I need to really manipulate the skin, so I’m going to get really handsy. If I make you uncomfortable at any point, let me know, and we can stop.”

Link nodded, biting her lip and reaching her hand out for Rhett’s again. Rhett was terrified for what was about to happen to Link. Rhett felt the need to close his eyes, feeling an ache in his own pants just at the thought of what Denise was preparing to do. He couldn’t bring himself to watch what was playing out before him. Link suddenly released a loud, long shriek, gripping Rhett’s hand harder than she had the rest of the night. Rhett wasn’t surprised by the scream, only that it was the first time Link had done it that evening.

“Shiiiit,” Link groaned.

Rhett opened his eyes and saw Denise pressing down hard on Link’s member, adding pressure to try to minimize the sting.

“Are you alright?” she asked Link.

Link nodded, panting. “Yeah… Yeah I’m okay. Keep going.”

Rhett closed his eyes again. Link didn’t yell anymore, but there were quite a few expletives escaping her mouth.

After a few minutes, Denise said, “Okay, I need you to flip over now, knees up on the table and your arms stretched out in front of you.”

Link let go of Rhett’s hand and did as Denise had instructed, ending up in a position where her ass was being presented to Denise. Rhett leaned down close, his face right next to Link’s. “Are you really okay?” he whispered, quiet enough that Denise couldn’t hear.

Link nodded before looking away. Rhett sighed. It’d been a long time since he’d felt that uncomfortable. Luckily enough for both Rhett and Link, Denise finished up with the intimate areas rather quickly, and after that, Link’s almost hairless back was a breeze. Her legs took quite a while, but soon enough, Link’s skin was completely bare everywhere below the neck. After massaging Link with a cooling oil, Denise stepped out of the room to allow Link to dress once again. Wiping sweat from her forehead with the towel previously wrapped around her waist, Link sighed.

“That was awful. Yet, not as bad as I was expecting.”

Rhett didn’t respond. He wasn't expecting the appointment to go how it did. He was glad it was coming to a close. They met Denise back at the front desk and paid. Back in the car, Rhett said, “I cannot believe that just happened.”

“I can’t believe a fan just waxed my penis. I… I’m glad I got the appointment over with, but… I would’ve been a lot more comfortable if I could’ve been, like, I don’t know… Kissing you or something… The handholding was nice, but it wasn’t… I don’t know...” 

Rhett couldn’t help but smile. “Honestly, earlier today I was picturing myself just…running my fingers through your hair…” Rhett leaned in to demonstrate, and Link’s eyes closed in contentment. She smiled, leaning in closer. Rhett took the hint, closing the gap by pressing his lips against Link’s. 

Pulling away after a moment, Link whispered, “Thanks for coming, Rhett. I couldn’t have done that without you.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it's been so long between updates!!! Hopefully this update has been worth the wait haha :)
> 
> (Also shoutout to afangirlsplaylist for creating [THIS](http://afangirlsplaylist.tumblr.com/post/155363817826/tired-of-hiding-photoset-for-mythical-linkle) awesome photoset!! ♥)

It wasn’t often that Link actually called Rhett. The two usually either texted each other or waited for the next work day to chat. So when Rhett’s cellphone began to ring late Friday night, he was surprised to see Link’s name on the screen. He answered immediately, his blood running cold. He was convinced that something was horribly wrong, or else Link wouldn’t be calling. “Link! Are you okay?”

“I’m doing great.” Link clearly wasn’t speaking loudly, but her voice was echoing. 

“Are you...in the bathroom?” Despite Link’s response, Rhett’s mind immediately flashed back to himself comforting her on the bathroom floor.

Link giggled softly. “I am! I, uh… I decided to pamper myself a little bit after that waxing...even though it was a few nights ago.” 

“Pamper yourself?” Rhett questioned further, finally relaxing.

“Yeah. I went into that store Lush for the first time and bought a few things. I’m taking a bubble bath! I lit candles, poured myself some wine and everything. I don’t know why I’ve never done this before. It’s great…” Link inhaled deeply and let the breath out in a long sigh. “Cinnamon and vanilla. Smells great.”

Rhett smiled. He was beyond happy to hear that Link was relaxing and feeling content. Rhett would never admit to it, but he was hoping that there was a flirtatious, perhaps even sexual motive behind the call. Images of Link’s figure, barely covered with bubbles, relaxing in a room lit with candles were in the forefront of his mind. He’d always loved romantic baths with partners. “Maybe, um… Maybe I’ll have to try that sometime…”

“I think you should! I think everyone should, honestly…”

Rhett heard the bath water gently splash as Link moved. He was trying to think of something to say, but he felt like he was back in middle school, his brain turned to mush as soon as one of the hot older girls walked past his locker. He blushed and attempted to move the conversation along. “So, uh… Why’d you, um, call exactly?” 

“Oh! Right,” Link laughed. “Sorry. I was looking over the notes for one of our upcoming GMMs, and we’ll be talking about a beach. I realized we haven’t been in a while, so...”

Rhett perked up. He’d been trying to get Link to hang out with him outside of the office for months, and other than the fateful camping trip and their first dinner date, he’d failed. Hearing Link suggest something meant the universe to Rhett. “Yes! Do you want to go surfing in the morning?”

There was a brief pause before Link responded. “Uh, I… I actually thought that maybe, we’d instead, um… I thought it could be more of a picnic type situation? I thought we could just sort of lay around and enjoy the sun and the water and each other’s company…” 

Rhett’s heart fluttered, pleasantly surprised by what Link was proposing. “Oh,” was all he could respond for a moment. “Oh, yeah. I’d… I’d really love that!”

Rhett picked Link up at around 2:30 in the afternoon. He’d made sandwiches for them and brought sodas and potato chips for a picnic. He had on his swim trunks and a tropical t-shirt, ready for the water. Link, on the other hand, was wearing a long blue and white dress. Rhett didn’t understand how Link would be able to mess around in the water with the dress on, but despite his confusion, he didn’t bring it up. 

It took them about an hour to drive out to their favorite beach, and when they arrived, they hopped out of the car and began removing their belongings from the trunk. The beach wasn’t crowded, but there were a few people wandering around. Overall, it was a quiet day, and the couple couldn’t be happier. They found a spot to set up just far enough from the water that the waves wouldn’t reach them. Link pulled a large blanket from the tote bag Rhett had packed and laid it out on the sand as Rhett set up a large umbrella, giving them slight shelter from strangers’ views as well as from the sun. The man then kneeled down to begin unpacking his small cooler. “I was gonna make BLTs, but I know you don’t like tomato, so I made you a nutella and peanut butter sandwich and kept the BLT for myself,” he explained, handing Link the sandwich as well as a soda.

Link grinned, opening the plastic bag and taking a huge bite. “Mmmm… Delicious,” she mumbled through a mouthful. “Thank you!”

The couple ate in silence, focusing on the gentle warmth of the sun on their skin and the sound of the rolling waves just a short distance away. Children would occasionally run past while flying a kite or kicking a ball, giggling and squealing with laughter, but Rhett and Link were both far too content to even notice. Once they were each done with their meals, they laid back onto the blanket and stared up at the sky, watching the clouds roll slowly past. Rhett couldn't help but snake an arm underneath Link, wanting at least a little bit of contact. 

“This is nice,” Link whispered after a moment. 

“It is,” Rhett agreed. “I'm so glad you suggested we do this. I know lunch was simple, but—”

Link rolled over to silence Rhett with a gentle kiss. “It was the best lunch you could’ve made.”

Rhett chuckled loudly. 

“What?” Link asked. When Rhett continued to laugh, Link started to as well. “What is it!?” Link insisted.

“I realize that was supposed to be a compliment, but it sounded like an insult,” Rhett explained, running his fingers gently through Link’s hair. 

Link went quiet for a moment, trying to remember her exact words. “Aw, shit. You know I didn’t mean it like that!”

“I know, I know. That’s why I was laughing,” Rhett assured. 

Link rested her head on Rhett’s chest and closed her eyes. “You’re really comfy,” she muttered, voice muffled by Rhett’s shirt.

After a few moments of cuddling, Rhett shifted uncomfortably underneath Link. “Sorry, my back’s just sorta bothering me.”

Link sat up, pulling Rhett along, too. “Sorry, I wasn’t even thinking about that. Do you want to go enjoy the water for a bit?”

Rhett had worn his swim trunks because he had fully expected to take advantage of their beach day, but when he saw Link wearing a cotton dress, he had assumed going into the water wasn’t on the agenda. So, when Link said this, Rhett looked her up and down, raising an eyebrow. “I mean, kinda, yeah. But how are you gonna do that in that dress?”

Link laughed softly. “It’s a cover-up, Rhett. I’ve got a bathing suit on underneath.”

Rhett rolled his eyes at himself. “Oh, wow. Duh! Sorry,” he sighed. “I’m so clueless…” 

Link didn’t respond, just smiled and handed Rhett the bottle of sunscreen they’d brought. Rhett pulled off his shirt and began applying the substance to his arms and chest. He wasn’t too worried about thoroughly covering himself, figuring they’d be back in the shade of their beach umbrella shortly. When he turned to give the sunscreen back to Link, Link had removed her dress and was kneeling, watching him intently. She was now wearing a simple bright red bikini, and Rhett couldn’t help but let his eyes wander over her form. Once Rhett’s gaze travelled far enough down, he couldn’t help but gasp. He hesitantly pointed towards Link’s crotch. 

He quickly shot his gaze back to Link’s eyes and asked with a shaky voice, “Wait, okay I'm so sorry if this is offensive, but… I really don't mean to be offensive, but where…? Where is…? Wait, I’m so… I’m sorry, but… Where is your…?”

Link blushed and glanced down, then back up to Rhett. “Do I look okay?” she asked nervously.

“Link, you look fucking hot… Absolutely gorgeous… But I’m  _ so _ confused… Where the  _ hell _ did it go?”

Link visibly relaxed at Rhett’s compliment. “I didn’t get surgery and fully recover over the course of two days, if that’s what you’re asking,” she laughed.

Rhett smiled. He was nervous that asking what he did would upset Link, so the laughter was a relief to hear. “Okay, then what did you do?”

“I, uh… I tried to teach myself how to...to tuck…” 

“Tuck?”

“Yeah… There’s, uh… I had to shove my stuff back, uh...back inside, and… There’s some duct tape and stuff down there…”

Rhett grimaced—he could feel his own crotch ache as he imagined trying to do what Link had done. “Doesn’t it hurt?” 

Link thought for a moment before shaking her head. “Nah. When I was practicing, though, I almost fainted from pain a couple of times. But that was just because I was doing it wrong. It feels fine now!” 

Rhett couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Every time he found out about another thing Link had to go through, he became more and more impressed. “Jesus, Link…” he muttered before pulling her in for a hug. 

Link rested her head on Rhett’s shoulder, hesitantly hugging him back. “What is it…?”

“You’re amazing, you know that? You’re so damn gorgeous no matter what you do, and all this that you’re going through… It’s just so… It’s amazing. I’m so impressed by you, and I just… Yeah.” Rhett pulled back slightly, kissing Link on the cheek and handing her the sunscreen.

Link didn’t say anything for a while, just smiled and began applying her own sunscreen. “I love you, Rhett,” she whispered softly. “I… I’m sorry I ever thought you wouldn’t be okay with this...with me…” After a pause, Link handed Rhett the bottle of sunscreen back. “Will you get my back for me?”

Rhett happily obliged, squeezing a small amount of the substance onto his palm and gently massaging it into Link’s smooth, warm skin. “I’m not gonna lie, Link… I’m kinda surprised at how well I’ve taken all of this, myself. I thought… I dunno what I thought…” Rhett paused, his thoughts running over everything they’d been through over the last few weeks. They were really jumping head first into everything. He figured it should feel scary, but it didn’t. Not to him. It felt right. He forced himself back into the present. “You ready?”

Link nodded. “Yeah.”

The couple held hands as they stood before jogging towards the water. Splashing as they ran straight into the waves, the two laughed hysterically. They slowed down once the water reached their shins. Still laughing softly, they carefully trudged deeper, stopping once the water was just below their belly buttons. Once there, neither one was quite sure what to do. That’s when Link instinctively splashed Rhett.

“Hey!” the man laughed, returning the action. 

A splash-fight quickly ensued, which eventually morphed into some playful wrestling. They both tired out extremely quickly, out of breath from the physical labor of holding the other back and trying to stand in the waves as well as from their hysterical laughter. The giggles slowly died down as their breathing returned to normal. Rhett still held Link’s right wrist and left bicep in his strong grip as Link looked upwards to meet his gaze. Link lazily blinked twice, smiling softly as Rhett caressed her face. 

“I, uh…” Rhett began, unsure of the exact words he wanted to use to express his emotions. After a moment’s hesitation, he leaned in and gently brought his mouth to Link’s—gently, yet passionately. His initial intention was to buy himself a few brief seconds to formulate a coherent thought, but the combination of the warmth of the sun, the gentle waves pushing their bodies to and fro, and Link’s lips against his own was enough to make him forget his own name. 

He felt Link’s lips forming a smile before she pulled away, just enough to mutter, “You what?”

Rhett laughed to himself. “I just…” He shook his head, thoughts racing. “Looking at you, Link, I’m… I’m mad at myself.”

Link cocked her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m mad that it took you kissing me for me to realize how much I…” He paused, sighing. “I wish I would’ve realized how in love with you I was a long time ago. All that wasted time…”

“Oh, Rhett,” Link sighed, pulling him into a tight hug. She rested her head against his chest. “We didn’t waste any time. We’ve been side by side from day one. Not much would’ve been different.”

Rhett smiled. “I guess you’re right. I just didn’t really let myself realize how absolutely...sexy you are,” he chuckled, “for lack of a better term.”

Link laughed as well. “I love you, Rhett. You’re sexy, too.”

Blushing, Rhett mumbled, “Thanks.”

Link splashed Rhett again before grabbing the man by the wrist and dragging him back to their setup on the sand. The couple laid there on their beach towels as the sun moved across the sky. Link was snuggled up against Rhett, kissing his cheek and running a hand through his beard, the other hand resting on his lower stomach, gently playing with the hair just above his waistband. Rhett’s eyes were closed, enjoying the sensations of Link’s gentle, loving touch. He turned his head to gently connect his lips with Link’s. “Careful with your hand,” he muttered, entwining his fingers with Link’s on his stomach and bringing it up to his chest.

Link laughed, slightly embarrassed. “Sorry, that feel a little too good?”

“Mmm, just a little,” Rhett teased, kissing Link once more.

They didn’t realize just how long they’d been there, just chatting, laughing, and cuddling, until a particularly chilly breeze caused a shiver to run across Link’s entire body. She opened her eyes and lifted her head from Rhett’s chest, realizing the sun was beginning to go down. Link noticed Rhett had dozed off at some point. 

“Rhett, wake up,” Link said, shaking the man gently.

Sitting up, Rhett rubbed his eyes and groaned. “Jesus, it’s cold.” Without hesitation, they both began packing up their belongings. 

“Hey, could you maybe, uh, spend the night with me tonight?” Link asked.

Rhett paused as he was pushing his cooler into the trunk to glance at Link, who was blushing and rubbing her neck. “Yeah, sure. I’d love to. Any particular reason why?”

“Uh, no… I’d just like to...to cuddle, or something.”

“Sounds great to me! I’ll drop you off before heading home. I gotta shower and get some stuff together.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~This chapter is rated M~~
> 
> ALSO HI, I'M SO SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING FOR THREE MONTHS!?!?!?!? IT WAS A COMPLETE ACCIDENT OMFG. IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN!!! This is a shorter chapter than what I usually post, and I was hoping to write more, but I feel like this particular part works at the length it's at... I'm really excited to get back to writing finally! My semester is over next month, so then I'll have ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD for writing! Again, I'm so sorry, and I hope anybody even cares about this still lol! (And, as always, feedback and comments are greatly appreciated! ♥♥)

Rhett was standing in the shower, scrubbing away the sand that had been caked in the crevices of his body. He’d eaten a quick dinner before rushing around his home to pack an overnight bag to bring to Link’s, but now that he was standing in the steamy, hot shower, he stopped for a moment to run over the events of the day and collect his thoughts. It was the best day he’d had in months—Link didn’t seem worried about anything at all, and he was happiest when Link was happy. Link was...Link was stunning in the bathing suit, laying out in the sun, her eyes gazing lovingly upwards...at _him_ . Rhett shook his head in disbelief, smiling. Link’s adoring gaze… The heart-eyes that he always saw people commenting on below their videos… It was for _him_ … How had he never noticed? He knew now that he’d always been doing it right back, though subconsciously. He thought back to the beach again. The romantic aspect of his relationship with Link had fallen into place so effortlessly. It was almost as if he hadn't noticed a change. Rhett felt completely at ease both at dinner as well as laying on the sand, despite being out in public. They hadn’t discussed it, but Rhett could tell that Link was feeling more confident than she had in months. Just the way she carried herself when walking, or the teasing comments tossed towards him… Rhett sighed.  As he reflected on the confidence exuding from Link all afternoon, and the images from the beach, and the feeling of Link’s lips against his own, and the fact that they were finally, finally acknowledging the emotions that had been there for God knows how long, he was beginning to notice a familiar warmth growing at the base of his abdomen.

He closed his eyes and rested his head on the tiled wall of the shower, allowing his hand to wander. Rhett was getting himself too worked up, and he was worried that if he didn't take care of it then and there, he'd have a difficult time being present and able to take in the moment when he met back up with Link, instead being too focused on ignoring any urges he wouldn't act on. Rhett was the kind of guy that, if he let his mind wander to places that made him horny, the feeling wouldn't go away until he dealt with it. So, he quickly took care of business, grunting softly into the steam of the shower, before rinsing the conditioner from his hair. As he was drying himself off with the towel, the reality of what he had just done started to sink in. His heart and mind were racing with thoughts such as, “You just masturbated while thinking about Link,” and, “Isn't that weird?” He gulped and took a long look at himself in the mirror, making intense eye contact through the steam-covered glass. No. Yeah. Yeah, he was okay with that. Why shouldn't he be? He loved Link, inside and out. Jittery excitement filled his chest and butterflies filled his stomach as the sheer amount of love he felt for Link rushed over him like a tidal wave. He couldn't help but grin, then laugh softly, the emotions bubbling up and out of him for the first time since this new aspect of their relationship had formed. He really was head over heels in love, suddenly feeling like he couldn't stay sane while away from Link’s side. Still grinning like a madman, Rhett got dressed and put the last couple of items in his overnight bag before sending Link a quick text that read simply, “On my way.”

When Rhett arrived at Link’s home, Link took his overnight bag and dumped it in the bedroom for him. “Thank you for the amazing day,” she said, wrapping her arms around Rhett’s torso.

Rhett hugged back, nuzzling against the top of Link’s head, the scent of a new, more floral shampoo filling his nose. “I don't know why you're thanking me,” he laughed. “It was your idea.”

“Yeah, but you've been so supportive and I don't know what to do to thank you for it…”

“You don't need to thank me for being a decent human being.” Rhett kissed Link’s forehead before pulling away slightly.

Link smiled up at him, staying comfortably silent for quite some time before asking, “Hungry?”

“Always,” was Rhett’s deadpan response.

Link giggled. “Yeah, don't know why I bothered asking. I bought some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream for us…”

“Oh, heck yes! Sounds great!”

Rhett grinned, extremely excited to be able to spend a relaxing night with Link, just hanging out on the couch with snacks. It’d been a really long time since they’d been able to do that. It sort of reminded Rhett of all the sleepovers they’d had as kids and through their teenage years, and this added layer of their relationship only served to increase Rhett’s feeling of incredible privilege. He was so incredibly lucky to have Link in his life, and he’d never forget that. He knew he’d been guilty of taking it for granted in the past, but he made a mental note to never do that again.

Link turned and headed towards the kitchen, and as she walked away, Rhett noticed for the first time just how long Link’s hair was growing. It wasn’t very noticeable when her hair was styled, but now that there was no product in it, the length was a bit more obvious.

“Your hair’s getting pretty long,” Rhett noted aloud, following behind Link after kicking his shoes off. “I know you mentioned you were gonna grow it out a bit, but I hadn’t noticed how quickly it was growing.”

Link ran her fingers through the back of her hair. “Does it look okay?”

Rhett couldn’t see her face, but he could hear by the tone in her voice alone that she was feeling suddenly self-conscious. “Oh, totally!” he insisted. “It looks fine! Well, better than fine, I mean. You look good.”

Link laughed. “Thanks, bo,” she said as she set a couple of bowls on the counter. Rhett’s chest filled with pure love and adoration. It had been so long since he’d heard that term of endearment. He came up behind Link, who was now scooping ice cream into the bowls, and wrapped his arms around her waist. He bent over to rest his chin on her shoulder.

“Hey, Link?” he muttered.

“Yessss?” Link laughed, leaning back into Rhett’s embrace.

“I really fucking love you, okay?”

Link was quiet for a long moment—a moment long enough for Rhett to begin worrying he’d said something wrong. Before Rhett could get too anxious, Link responded softly. “I love you more.”

Rhett couldn’t see, but could hear the smile on her face. He wasn’t in the mood for the back and forth, “I love you more. No, I love _you_ more!” banter, so instead of continuing the teasing, he turned his head and planted a soft kiss on Link’s cheek. They stood like that as Link carefully dished them both ice cream, then slowly wandered together to the couch in the living room. Link had given Rhett much more in his bowl than her own, and Rhett wasted no time digging in. Link waited until she managed to pull up the new Netflix hip-hop documentary that interested her.

“This okay?” she asked Rhett.

“Yeah, looks cool!” he replied enthusiastically through a mouthful of his dessert. He smiled, remembering their days as youngsters listening to gangster rap that was far too inappropriate for their innocent ears. He hadn’t thought about that in a long time. As the documentary began, Rhett continued to silently reminisce about himself and Link all dressed up in their baggiest clothes, their baseball caps on sideways, trying to emulate the artists as best as their eight-year-old selves could. As silly as it may sound, sometimes Rhett felt as if, ever since Link came out as trans, they were in a way starting over—starting fresh. In a way, Link's film choice reassured him that this wasn't the case. All of the experiences he'd shared with Link were still just as valid. Link was still Link...his Link. He absentmindedly rested his arm across the back of the couch behind Link as he forced himself to focus on the present instead of his memories, not wanting to get too distracted.

The two finished their food relatively quickly, and once they did, Rhett insisted on taking the dishes into the kitchen and cleaning up. He took his time, trapped in his own mind as he continued to run through all sorts of thoughts about his budding relationship with Link. He tried to hide his wide smile as he plopped back down onto the couch.

“Thanks, Rhett,” Link quietly said. “I really appreciate you being here.”

Rhett’s heart swelled. “Well, I appreciate you letting me be here,” he joked.

Link rolled her eyes and laughed softly. It was then that Link’s mood quite obviously changed, and she shifted nervously as if trying to decide whether or not to bring something up.

“What is it?” Rhett asked.

Link walked into the other room, and Rhett could hear the sound of a closet door opening and boxes shifting around inside.When Link returned, she was holding a yellow shipping envelope. It had been opened and then taped shut again. “I bought you something, but then I had second thoughts, so I was going to return it…”

“What? You bought me something?” Rhett couldn’t help but grin. He always loved and appreciated any gift that anyone gave him, so he knew whatever was in the bag, he’d love even more...because it was coming from Link. He reached out for the package, but Link held it out of reach for a moment.

“Don’t pretend to like it if you don’t,” she warned. “It won’t hurt my feelings if you want me to return it or anything.”

“Just give it to me!” Rhett practically pleaded.

Link smiled a nervous smile and handed the package over. Rhett tore into it. The first thing he saw when he managed to get the thing open was black fabric. “Is it a shirt?” he asked. Link didn’t respond, so he just continued trying to pull the fabric out. After getting both the envelope and plastic sheathing away, he realized he was right. He turned the shirt around, and on the front were the words “Trans Ally” around a pink, blue, and white rainbow. He looked at it, and then back to Link.

“Those are the colors of the trans flag. You know the LGBT flag is rainbow? That’s the trans flag,” she explained under her breath. “But, um… Yeah, the shirt’s kind of over the top, so--”

Rhett interrupted. “Link, I absolutely love it… Thank you so much…”

“Really? Because I know we tend to keep our political stances away from the public, so I wasn’t sure you’d even want to wear it…”

Rhett shook his head. “It’s perfect, and I’m going to wear this all the time. I don’t know if I should wear it on the show, but… I’ll definitely wear it, Link. I’m glad you decided not to return it…”

Link sighed in relief. “I’m glad, too…”

Rhett stared at the shirt for a while, imagining himself proudly walking down the street with it on, holding hands with Link… He couldn’t wait for that day to become a reality. He shook his head. “I’m just… I’m speechless, Link. I love you.”

“I love you, too…”

The couple stayed silent as the credits of the forgotten documentary rolled across the screen. Link yawned. “I know it’s kind of early, but do you think you’re ready to head to bed?”

Rhett tossed the shirt onto the coffee table and stood, stretching. “Yeah. We’ve had a pretty long day.” Rhett followed Link towards the bedroom, but Link quickly disappeared into the adjoining master bathroom. After standing by the closed bathroom door for a second, Rhett retrieved his sweats and toothbrush from his overnight bag before walking down the hall to the guest bathroom. Before, when they'd have sleepovers or anything of a similar nature, they’d always get ready for bed together, in the same room. They had a shared dressing room at the office as well, but they’d been taking their turns getting ready for filming. Rhett wasn't entirely sure why Link was sort of silently insisting on more privacy lately, but he didn't mind. Rhett knew he didn't understand what went on in Link’s head. But he never quite did, so he didn't question it. If Link wanted a bit of privacy, that wasn't too hard to give.

It wasn’t long before Rhett was safely under the sheets of Link’s bed, the warmth of Link’s own body helping to add to the comfort. He was laying on his back and staring at the ceiling while Link was on her side, arm resting across his torso. Rhett wanted so badly to roll over onto his right side so he was facing the wall, but he didn’t want Link to think he was ignoring her or unhappy for one reason or another. Allowing Link to cuddle up against him until she fell asleep was another tiny thing that Rhett knew would make Link happy, so once again, he waited patiently. Rhett was suddenly hyper-aware of what he was currently doing: compromising. He’d been in plenty of relationships in the past, but this was a new development for him. He’d heard time and time again that compromise was an important part of any relationship, and sure, he and Link compromised a lot creatively during work, but this was different. Rhett had never given up his own comfort so easily for the happiness of a lover before. He paused. Had he just called Link his lover? And, jeez, all he was doing was laying on his back instead of his side for a few minutes… Was he overthinking things? It was then that he noticed Link’s breathing had changed. He glanced down, seeing Link’s mouth hanging slightly agape. Smiling, Rhett carefully, slowly lifted Link’s arm off of his chest and placed it against the mattress before rolling onto his side and closing his eyes. He’d never been able to fall asleep as quickly as Link could, so it was a good fifteen minutes before he started to drift off.

Just as he began to slip into dreamland, Rhett heard Link begin to mumble something. The mumbles started to become clearer, and Rhett knew for sure that Link was talking in her sleep. He tried to ignore it, but it wasn’t long before Link’s hands were on him. Link was pawing at his back, and the words escaping Link’s mouth surprised him. Voice slurred with sleep, she was muttering, “Rhett, please. Please. I need you. I need you now.”

Rhett tried to ignore the words, but when he felt Link’s hand reach around him and brush his crotch, he sat up straight. His eyes went wide, his heart began to race, and he started to break out in a nervous cold sweat. “Link,” he whispered. “Link, c’mon, wake up.”

Link kept mumbling the pleas, so Rhett shook her gently. Link groaned and rolled over, facing the opposite wall. Rhett was frozen in shock for a moment, just staring at Link’s sleeping form and asking himself if that had really just happened. He shook his head and laid down again, eventually managing to fall asleep despite the thoughts running wild in his mind.


	16. Chapter 16

Rhett sat at the kitchen table, playing with his spoon after having finished a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Link was still working on her own bowl, completely focused on the mini wheats in front of her. Rhett was lost in his own mind, contemplating whether he should tell Link about the sleep talking that he’d heard the night before. He wasn't sure if it’d be appropriate, not wanting to upset his friend in any way. She had had more than enough of that lately, and definitely didn’t need more coming from him.

Once Link had finished her breakfast as well, she shifted her seat over so that she was sidled up next to Rhett. Rhett lazily smiled down at her, the movement not quite being enough to pull him out of his internal debate. That is, until he felt Link’s hand rest gently on his thigh, a little too close to a certain body part to be an innocent touch. 

“What are you doing?” Rhett questioned, sitting up straight and raising a confused brow. Sure, the contact sent an immediate shiver down the man’s spine, and one part of him hoped that Link’s hand would reach the end of its obvious course. That being said, however, a larger part of Rhett’s brain was thinking more cautiously—perhaps rationally. He knew that, for weeks already, Link had made it abundantly clear that she was uncomfortable with any physical contact that was sexual context. 

“Why can't I just make you feel good?” Link responded alluringly.

While Rhett could feel his chest tighten with excitement, and Link’s offer was extremely tempting, he made the decision to brush her hand away, shaking his head. “Why? What changed?” 

A blush spread across Link’s cheeks. She only averted her gaze for a brief moment before whispering, “You've just been so understanding and patient, bo. I want to show you how grateful I am…” 

Rhett just frowned. He couldn't believe that Link would feel like any sort of a “thank-you” would be necessary, and he shook his head in surprise. “Wait, what? Link, you don't need to thank me for anything…” he assured.

Link didn't let up quite yet, pressing harder. “Rhett, I want to do this for you. Please?”

Rhett was quiet for a moment, replaying the events of the night before in his mind. He reluctantly decided to mention what had happened while Link was asleep. “Last night, you were talking in your sleep like you used to. You kept insisting that we  _ had _ to... _ be together _ . But last time we talked about this, you said you weren’t ready. Has that changed, or what?” Rhett asked, praying that Link would be honest with him.

Link looked away, staring at the floor. “Not really,” she admitted hesitantly. “As long as you're not touching me, though, it should be fine. Let me—”

“Link,  _ stop _ ,” Rhett interrupted. “I don't want to do anything without you being involved, too…”

“Rhett, I  _ would  _ be involved. It'd be pretty damn hard to not be involved while sucking your dick,” she laughed softly.

Rhett shot her a look that made it clear he wasn't amused. “You know what I mean,” he muttered, slightly annoyed. “I pictured our first time doing anything together as us really  _ being together. _ Not one of us giving the other a handjob or something.” 

Link clenched her jaw and stood up. “I’m starting to think maybe you don’t want to be with me at all. Do you not actually think I’m attractive or something? What’s the matter?”

Rhett couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What the hell are you talking about!?” he asked, stunned. “I told you exactly what—”

Link didn’t let Rhett finish. Instead, she stormed out of the kitchen, tossing her cereal bowl into the sink with a loud crash. Rhett’s jaw dropped as the bedroom door slammed. He had no idea where the conversation had gone wrong. Had he said something he shouldn’t have? He didn’t feel like anything he had said could be taken negatively, but now he was full of self-doubt. Perhaps he hadn’t taken something into consideration. He too got up from his stool and brought his dish to the sink. Rhett washed the dishes as he frowned, repeating their exchange over and over again in his mind, trying desperately to figure out exactly where he’d messed up. 

With perfect timing, just as soon as he finished with the dishes, the alarm on Rhett’s cellphone went off, signalling to him that it was time to leave for work. He sighed, staring at the closed bedroom door. He debated on how to go about getting Link, and how he should apologize without knowing exactly what he’d done wrong. Not wanting to be late for work despite Link and himself being the bosses, he anxiously knocked on the door after taking a deep, steadying breath. “Link?” he asked gently. “We need to head to work… Do you think you’ll be ready soon?”

His question was initially met with silence. Just as he lifted his arm to knock again, it swung open. Link looked up at him with a slight frown before pushing past. She was fully dressed in a long, grey skirt and a tight white blouse, something cute that would be simple to change out of in the dressing room quickly when it came time to get ready for filming. She grabbed a pair of flipflops at the door. “Well? Are you coming?” she snapped. Rhett sighed, slipping on his own pair of shoes and following Link outside. 

The drive to the studio was incredibly tense. Neither of them spoke a word, the only noise being that of the traffic surrounding them. They didn’t even have the radio on. Rhett wanted desperately to continue their earlier conversation, but he didn’t want to further upset Link before they had to film Good Mythical Morning. Sure, Link was great at hiding any distress during filming, but he didn’t want to make her life more difficult. He carefully parked the car in their usual parking spot, but didn’t make a move to exit the car immediately. 

“What are you waiting for?” Link questioned after a moment.

Rhett tugged at his beard, contemplating whether he wanted to say anything. “I just… Link, I do find you attractive. Insanely attractive. But… I have a very specific image in my head of what our first time being intimate together might look like, okay? Maybe that’s naive of me, but that’s the way it is. I’d feel like I was taking advantage of you otherwise, Link. I don’t want to do anything until I know for sure that you’re comfortable with it.” Rhett’s words poured out of his mouth practically involuntarily, and before he knew it, he needed to scold himself, telling himself to shut up. He couldn’t help but blush, desperately hoping that Link would respond positively, or at least not negatively, to what he’d said.

Link licked her lips slowly, quite clearly deep in thought. Without so much as a nod in response, she opened the door of the car and jumped out, pushing it shut and heading into the studio. Rhett groaned, leaning down and resting his forehead against the steering wheel. He couldn’t gather anything from the expression Link had made, having no idea what her response might’ve been. He knew he couldn’t waste any more time, so he too left the car, locking it before heading into the studio himself. 

When he entered the building, he immediately headed to the kitchenette for some coffee. Link had clearly had the same idea, already pouring some of the beverage into a mug. Rhett paused in the entryway, hesitating before approaching the counter as well. He was acting as if they hadn’t parted just seconds earlier. Link didn’t so much as glance at Rhett, completely ignoring him. Rhett was still completely in the dark when it came to Link’s thoughts when she turned to leave the room with her mug. Before Link could step out, however, Jen popped in. 

“Mornin’, Jen,” Rhett said, trying his absolute best to sound positive. “What’s up?”

Jen typically had a rather laidback, subdued personality, but even with that in mind, she seemed rather low energy. It was clear that something was off. “Hey,” she said. “Do you think there will be time for a short meeting this morning?” 

Rhett frowned, cluing in that something was the matter. Considering Jen’s job as social media manager, this greatly worried the man. Link clearly sensed the same thing, turning to make eye contact with Rhett finally, sharing the same concerned look. “Yeah, I mean, we can make time. Is it vital that we hear about it as soon as possible?” 

Jen shrugged, unsure. “I mean, I don’t think it’s totally—”

“We’ve got time,” Link interrupted, curiosity and nerves getting the better of her. 

Rhett nodded in agreement. “We’ll meet you in the conference room,” he said, turning back to the counter to finish making his coffee.

“What do you think she needs to tell us?” Link asked, clearly nervous.

“I have absolutely no idea,” Rhett muttered, stirring his drink and then taking a sip. He didn’t want to get worked up guessing all of the things that might be wrong. He gestured towards the door, allowing Link to walk out of the room first. 

When they sat down next to each other in the conference room, Jen was waiting for them, but Stevie had joined her. Both Rhett and Link greeted her as casually as they could despite their shared apprehension. She nodded in acknowledgement, her wide-brimmed hat serving to cover her own worried expression when she looked down, fiddling with her jacket. 

“So, what’s this all about?” Rhett asked after a tense silence. 

Jen and Stevie glanced at each other, sharing a look that Rhett and Link couldn’t quite see from the angle they were sitting at. Jen turned to look them both in the eye, obviously trying to figure out the best way to tell them what she so desperately needed to. She sighed, pulling her phone from her pocket before working to get something pulled up. She slid her phone across the long table, where it came to a rest in front of the couple. 

What Rhett saw on Jen’s phone absolutely floored him. He could feel his entire world crashing down around him, as panic immediately began to set in. He wanted nothing more than to look away from the screen, and yet, he couldn’t bring himself to. He felt Link’s hand on his thigh just as he had earlier, but this time, Link was squeezing him tightly. He glanced down, their gazes meeting. Her eyes were full of fear and possibly some regret, but mostly just the need for reassurance. This time, Rhett wasn’t sure he could give it to her.


	17. Chapter 17

Jen had opened Instagram, where she had found a post with them tagged in it during her usual sweep of fan content. Rhett could be clearly seen in the photo, standing waist-deep in the ocean, arms wrapped tightly around another, slightly shorter person. They were in the middle of sharing a passionate kiss.  _ Rhett  _ knew that it was Link he was kissing, but did the fans?

Rhett was tugging firmly on his beard as he took in the picture, and Link was chewing on her lip nervously. She kept glancing between the photo on the phone and Rhett, whose eyes were glued at the phone. The two were visibly trying to comprehend and work through the possible repercussions of such an incriminating photo being posted online. Incriminating. That was the first word to pop into Rhett’s head to describe what he had seen, and he just had to shake his head at the thought. No, not incriminating. There was nothing wrong with what he and Link had done. There was nothing to be ashamed of. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t be, that he  _ wasn’t, _ terrified of the possible consequences of being found out.  

Link’s inner monologue was following what was essentially the same path as Rhett’s. All she felt when looking at the photo was like she had been exposed. She thought it was silly, but she felt almost betrayed by whichever fan had posted this. Obviously they didn’t mean to out her—out  _ them _ —so publicly, but from where Link was sitting, the intent behind it didn’t matter. It was still utterly horrifying, and Link’s blood ran cold. She could practically see their entire business crumbling around her at the sight of the photo.

Noticing just how much the couple was beginning to panic over the news of the photo going around, Jen spoke up. “Everyone just thinks it’s some random girl. Nobody thinks it’s you, Link,” she reassured quickly, practically reading their minds. 

Link nodded slowly, taking it all in and simply trying to keep breathing steadily. “Is, uh… Is that all you needed to talk to us about?” she asked softly. The two crew members nodded, so Link got up and headed for the door, unable to sit there and look at that photo a moment longer. 

Rhett sighed deeply. “Thanks, you two. We’ll be more careful,” he said before getting up as well. He left the conference room to catch up with Link, who was heading into their office. “Link, wait up,” he called.

Link climbed straight up the wooden staircase half hidden by the vines up to their nap loft and laid down, not saying a word to Rhett.

Staying on solid ground for the moment, Rhett closed and locked the door and gently prodded, “Link, tell me what you’re thinking.” When he didn’t get a response, Rhett decided to head up the staircase himself. He sat down on the arm of the recliner that Link was laying in and rested a hand on her shoulder. Her back was facing him and he could tell without seeing her face that she was close to tears. He’d known Link long enough be able to tell.

“Link,” Rhett breathed. “Nobody knows it’s you. It’s okay,” he assured. 

“That’s not what I’m worried about, Rhett,” Link snapped, but quickly changed her tone to a low mutter. This wasn’t Rhett’s fault. He didn’t deserve to be chastised. “I’m… I’m just… I don’t think I can do this.”

“We don’t have to go on public dates or anything, Link. I’m more than happy to—”

Cutting Rhett off, Link clarified what her fears were about. “No. I… I don’t think I can _transition_. This whole thing was a mistake. I should go get all my old clothes back and cut my hair and call it a day.”

“Link, you can’t do that. I haven’t seen you this happy in years. Or… I haven’t seen you as happy as you were a few minutes ago in years,” Rhett argued gently. “It’s been  _ killing  _ you to live as a man. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I know that  _ now _ .”

“But I’m not ready for the fans to know yet, so I can’t. I have to start over at another time,” Link sniffled. Her mind was racing with a million doubts and worries over the situation. She was worried that by coming out, their channel and subscriber base would collapse. She was sure their sponsorships would disappear quicker than she could say “I’m trans.” She didn’t think she was ready to risk losing everything that she and Rhett had built from the ground up, and for what? So she could wear a blouse instead of a button-down shirt? 

“Link, it’s going to be hard, but nobody’s forcing you to come out to the fans yet. We can figure out how to hide all of this until you feel more ready. Just  _ please _ , don’t give up on this. You  _ need _ to be yourself, at  _ least _ in private.”

Link’s only response to Rhett was a simple grunt in acknowledgement. Deep down, she knew that he was right, but she didn’t feel up to admitting that. She was scared and frustrated and just wanted to relax. 

Rhett could tell that Link wanted to be left alone, so after  giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, he climbed back down the ladder and sat down at his desk to work on whatever tasks still needed doing before their next shoot. 

“Crap,” he whispered under his breath at the sight of an email. “Link? You’re gonna have to get up in like...twenty minutes,” he called up the stairs, hoping that his voice was loud enough to carry.

“Why?” Link muttered, not caring if  **she** could be heard. Rhett would repeat himself with more detail if he didn’t hear her respond.

“We’ve got that meeting with the stylist, remember? To get us ready for the Streamy’s next week?”

Link groaned and got up, joining Rhett back on solid ground. “That’s the last thing I need right now,” she grumbled.

Rhett suggested cancelling, but Link refused. They were already putting it off until the last minute. This meeting was simply to pick out the pieces they’d be wearing, and it was no big deal. The stylist still needed to bring them to get tailored before returning them, so it needed to be done as soon as possible. They had to attend.

“We’ll get through this together, it shouldn’t take long,” Rhett promised, reaching forward to take Link’s hand in his own and squeeze it gently. “Then I think you should take a break until the shoot.” 

Link couldn’t help but smile the smallest of smiles. She really did appreciate how understanding Rhett was being. Needless to say, she would be lost without him.

* * *

 

Link stood with her arms crossed as she watched the stylist skim the rack of clothing that she’d brought with her to the office. Link was standing back a bit, observing the shirts and jackets from more of a distance. She was still feeling incredibly apprehensive about the meeting, and figured that, at least to start, it might be best to let Rhett take the lead. 

They’d worked with this stylist for multiple events in the past, and they’d never had a problem. They always ended up looking great and receiving tons of compliments, but this time, Link wasn’t seeing anything she felt she could wear. She knew that it was all in her head, trying to tell herself again and again that women wore shirts and pants; these weren’t male-exclusive items by any means. She’d worn these items in the past and felt great in them. She just felt like she was stepping backwards now…back to a time when she wasn’t herself. There was a high-end dress shop in the strip mall downtown that had a gown that had jumped out at her, practically calling her name. This would be the perfect setting to wear it, too. But she just couldn't. Not yet. What was in front of her right now was all she’d get.

“Link, come on over! Anything catch your eye?” the stylist asked, ripping her away from her inner monologue.

“Ummmm,” Link hummed with a sigh, stepping closer so that she was standing next to Rhett, who patted her gently on the back in an attempt to silently reassure her. 

“Why the long face?” the woman asked. “You’re gonna look mighty handsome in any of these, trust me!” 

Link clenched her jaw, but otherwise didn’t react to the comment. She hadn’t meant anything by it. “Maybe that one?” 

The stylist removed a floral shirt from the rack, patterned with pink and blue flowers over a darker blue base. “I think this would look great on you!” the stylist enthused. “For this, I was thinking of pairing it with _ this _ blue pant and jacket. If you think that’s too bright—”

“Nope, that’s fine,” Link said, cutting her off. She’d wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, and at least she was getting something that even slightly resembled a more “feminine” piece. 

“Great! I think this is a perfect choice for you. It’ll make your eyes pop,” she enthused, incredibly excited that Link had found something, and so quickly and easily, at that. “Why don’t you go try this on and come back out so I can make notes for any adjustments that need to be made?”

Link nodded and reluctantly took all three pieces of her new outfit and walked down the hall to the bathroom to get changed, longing for a day when none of this would be necessary. When she could say  _ screw the suit  _ and get that beautiful dress in the window, finally showing the world who she really was. But, not today. Another time.

* * *

 

Rhett was sitting on Link’s couch with a beer, waiting for her to return to the living room to join him. She was wearing the short purple nightgown that had quickly become her favorite, but had pulled on an oversized cardigan to combat the chilliness of the house. Rhett had changed into his sweatpants and the softest sweater that he owned. It was an incredibly cool night, and both of them just wanted to be as comfortable as possible after the stressful, emotional day that they’d had. 

Link plopped down on the couch next to Rhett and rested her head on his shoulder, then took the beer from him, gulping down half of it before handing it back. Rhett smiled softly, kissing Link on the forehead. Link sharing whatever Rhett was currently eating or drinking without permission, so long as it wasn’t one of the many things she was too picky for, had always been a part of their dynamic. It was one of those things that Rhett, while occasionally finding it annoying, for the most part thought of as endearing. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t really get to spend time with you after the shoot,” he said softly, not wanting to break the comfortable, quiet vibe that they were sitting in. The room was lit by one dim lamp in the corner and the news was turned on, the volume so low they couldn’t make out any words. 

Link shook her head slightly. “No, that’s okay. I needed some time alone to think. Thanks for bringing me back to reality earlier,” she breathed, voice barely audible even at their close distance.

After taking another sip from his beer, Rhett asked, “How did you feel about what we picked out with the stylist?” 

Link sighed and stayed quiet for a long time, replaying the events that took place earlier that afternoon in her mind. “Well,” she started. “I… I guess I like what I chose…”

Rhett frowned and raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t sound too convincing,” he said.

“I… I don’t know. I just wish I could use this as an excuse to really dress up… show off… wear a gown and all that… You know, get all dolled up?” she tried to explain. 

“But you’re not ready to yet?” Rhett asked, trying to further guess what was going on in Link’s head. 

She nodded lazily. “Yep. That’s right.”

Trying to make Link smile, Rhett teased, “Well, at the rate our channel keeps going, there will be plenty more awards ceremonies and chances to get dolled up in our future.”

Rhett’s attempt was successful, as Link chuckled softly at the comment. “‘Our future?’ You want a chance to get dolled up, too?” she asked, smirking. 

“Hell, maybe I do!” Rhett bellowed, feigning offense. 

“You do seem to enjoy wearing those heels and lipstick on the show,” Link laughed heartily. “You gonna join me?”

Rhett chuckled, but his laughs quickly disappeared. He was silent again, and his expression let Link know that he was being serious. “Ya know, Link… We could play it off as a bit. We could  _ both _ go in gowns and makeup. The whole nine yards. If it meant you feeling comfortable…” he suggested. He’d do anything to make Link feel okay.

Link’s smile fell and she looked to the floor. She took a few deep breaths as she mulled over what the man was suggesting. It  _ could _ work… She could wear what she really wanted to and she could present the way she’d be most comfortable with… But then again, everyone watching would just take it as a joke… She’d probably be misgendered  _ and _ laughed at all night, and that might end up making her feel worse in the long run. Plus, getting all dressed up in costumes, or what would be a costume for Rhett, at least, wouldn’t be professional. It wouldn’t be appropriate for a serious awards show. She eventually shook her head wrapped her arms around Rhett, cuddling up to him. 

“Thanks, Rhett. I like your idea, but I don’t think it’d work out.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are wrapping up! There's one more part after this one! (And it's already written so there's not some huge wait for once omg.)

“The award for Show of the Year goes to two of YouTube’s handsomest creators—I mean, have you seen their hair!?—Rhett and Link for their show Good Mythical Morning! Congrats, guys!” the announcer for that award yelled out.

That was their cue, but Link merely sighed and sunk down in her chair, not wanting to get up. Just as suspected, the entire night had been filled with comments about their looks, and with that came massive amounts of misgendering and dysphoria. The night was almost over. This was the last award they were nominated for, but then came an after party they said they’d attend. She could make it through that much, right?

Rhett pulled her up from the table they shared with a few other creators, and as much as she wanted to argue and stay in her seat, Link let herself get led up onto the stage. Rhett took the award and raised it high in the air. They had planned on Link beginning the speech and then Rhett taking over halfway through, but it quickly became obvious to the man that Link was not going to start speaking. So instead, Rhett leaned down to the mic and spoke for the both of them. He acknowledged the fans and thanked them for voting, and he thanked the crew for all the work they’d done. Deciding to adlib for a moment, Rhett decided to finish off his speech with, “It’s been a rough few months, lots of re-assessing our lives and the world, and your support means everything to us. Thanks again!” Rhett raised the award into the air and nodded, then placed his hand on the small of Link’s back. They walked together off the stage as the theater erupted in applause.

Link clenched her jaw in frustration as they got many pats on the back and congratulations from passersby, all of who somehow managed to bring up how great their suits looked and how handsome they both were. Link was struggling to keep up a smile and relaxed demeanor, but managed as best as she could. When they finally arrived back at their table, Link grabbed her glass of wine and downed the remainder of its contents, looking to take the edge off.

Not wanting to start a conversation about the frustration Link was clearly feeling and have somebody overhear, Rhett pretended not to notice anything, focusing instead on the stage in front of them for the remainder of the event.

* * *

 

When the couple arrived at the after party they’d been invited to, they headed straight for the bar. Loud electronic music was blasting in the dark building, and countless YouTube personalities were dancing and celebrating their various victories of the night. Leaning over the bar so that the bartender could hear him over the music, Rhett ordered his favorite drink, a dirty martini with extra olives. Mimicking Rhett’s motion, Link ordered a bloody mary, hoping that the vodka would settle the nerves she was still feeling and allow her to finally relax.

Rhett raised his glass to Link with a small smile, which Link reciprocated. After the toast, Link downed her drink quickly, while Rhett merely sipped on his. Rhett nodded towards the dance floor, wordlessly asking Link if she wanted to participate. Link shook her head and instead nodded toward the only empty table in the building. It was located in the far corner, past a few groups of people standing together and talking over the music. Rhett placed his hand on the small of Link’s back and began the journey to the table.

They were stopped multiple times by the people they were passing, all of whom offered congratulations and started up some small talk. Rhett tried his best to politely answer and then get out of the conversation, but once he was nearly to the table, he was stopped by a group who wouldn’t let him through. The one man in the group mentioned that he’d seen the photo of him and the mystery woman on the beach, and wanted to know who it was. Rhett blushed and, stammering, tried to avoid answering the question. He answered vaguely, stating, “Oh, you know. Just a girl…”

The group began to press Rhett for information, but when it was obvious they weren’t going to get anything from him, moved on to try to get some from Link. Link made it clear that she wasn’t going to spill either, so the group finally dropped the subject. Rhett was finally able to say goodbye and get away from them, making it to their destination.

Link plopped down in one of the two chairs, sighing deeply. She loosened the tie around her neck and unbuttoned the top two buttons, seeing as she was beginning to overheat. Anxiety creeping up, she began to feel claustrophobic, like everyone was watching her. All of the triggering pieces of the night began to hit Link all at once.

“I… I can’t be here anymore,” Link muttered.

Not able to make out what she had said over the music, Rhett leaned in and asked, “What’d you say?”

“I need to go, Rhett. I can’t… I…” Link gulped, barely able to speak because she was getting so worked up.

“You what?” Rhett asked again, still not able to hear her.

Link couldn’t explain. Instead, she stood up and began shoving her way through the crowd, not worrying about being polite as Rhett had been earlier. She just needed to get out of the building as quickly as possible.

Rhett tried to follow, but got lost in the crowd of dancers. He could see Link dart out of the door, but he was struggling to follow.

Eventually, Rhett managed to break free, but by the time he was outside in the crisp night air, Link was gone. He sighed deeply with defeat and leaned against the side of the building, trying to formulate a plan. Link had most likely gone directly home, but Rhett wasn’t sure if he should try to catch up, or if he should give Link space. Running through his options and weighing the pros and cons, he’d decided to get an Uber and head to Link’s home. It was possible that Link just needed to be alone and decompress after a rough night, but on the off chance that she needed someone, Rhett was going to be there. He figured it’d be better to show up and be unwanted than to not show up at all.

Once he’d arrived at Link’s home, Rhett tried the door, but was surprised when it was actually unlocked. He called Link’s name softly into the home and was met with a weak, “Y-yeah,” from another room. Rhett could tell from the tone that Link was crying. He slipped off his shoes and removed his jacket before he headed further into the home. He found Link curled up on the sofa in the living room, the TV on, but the volume low enough that it was nearly muted. Rhett sat down on the edge of the coffee table so that he was facing Link and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Talk to me,” Rhett muttered.

Link shook her head and sniffled, but spoke in a raspy tone anyway. “It was… It was too much. I knew it would be, and I was right.”

Rhett didn’t need clarification. He knew exactly what Link had meant. Link had been worried that the night would be extremely triggering if she didn’t present as female, and apparently, she’d been correct to think that. Rhett nodded and was quiet for some time, before asking, “What can I do?”

Link shrugged and shook her head again. She didn’t feel like anything would help. She felt stuck. “I dunno. I just… I can’t do this, Rhett.”

“Not this again,” Rhett said with a sigh. He shifted onto the couch and pulled Link upright, wrapping his arms around his friend. “You can do this. You have to,” he insisted. “There’s no other option.”

Link began to cry even harder. How did Rhett not see it? “Yes there is. I could just...stop. Stop trying. Just give in to being a man again.”

Rhett closed his eyes and stayed silent for a while, trying to figure out what the best course of action would be. After a couple long minutes of silence, he quietly said, “I think it’s time.”

“For what?” Link questioned, confused.

“For you to tell everyone. I think it’s time we make it clear that you are who you are and make no apologies for it,” he said, a little louder.

“I ca-“

Link started to argue, but Rhett interrupted. “You _can_ , Link. You told the crew.”

“But that’s different. We’ll lose subscribers. We’ll lose sponsorships. We’ll-“

“Screw anyone who leaves, Link. I wouldn’t want them subscribed to us, anyway,” Rhett said in a matter-of-fact tone. As far as he was concerned, anybody who didn’t accept Link for who she was could take a hike.

Link sat up straight and rubbed her face with her trembling hands. “I don’t want to be the reason that everything we’ve worked for gets destroyed,” she cried.

“It’s not going to destroy anything,” Rhett assured. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t at all worried about the repercussions, but he was willing to risk anything to make Link happy. After a moment of hesitation, he added, “Even if we have to quit Youtube, which we won’t, it would be worth it. All that matters is that you’re happy.”

Link was quiet for an extremely long time, trying to get the crying under control as she ran through her options. Drying her eyes with the collar of her jacket that she still had on, she asked, “You swear you won’t blame me if our whole company falls apart?”

Rhett smirked, knowing that meant that Link was actually considering it. “It won’t, but yes. I swear.”

Link nodded slowly and mumbled, “Okay. Just let me think about it for a while. I’ll decide later.”

“That’s fair,” Rhett said, squeezing Link into a tight hug. “I’m sorry tonight went to shit.”

“Me too.”


	19. Chapter 19

Rhett ran his hand over the decal on his t-shirt, trying to keep his nerves at bay. The “Trans Ally” bubble words on the shirt that Link had given to him as a gift a few weeks earlier felt a bit scratchy, but he didn’t mind. This was the perfect time to wear the shirt, and he was beyond willing to forgo comfort in that moment. He was waiting for Link, who was getting ready in the dressing room. The cameras on set were all ready for filming. All that the crew needed now were the two hosts of the show. Rhett certainly wanted to give Link all the time that she needed in order to feel prepared for the big moment, **her** big moment, but they didn’t have all day. He knocked on the door, and when Link didn’t respond, he grew a bit worried. He knocked one more time for good measure before slowly cracking the door open, hesitating a moment before actually entering the room.

Link was leaning over the counter in front of the mirror, staring intently at herself. She was wearing the dark floral blouse that had recently become her favorite and a pair of dark jeans. She had gotten help from the crew with makeup, wanting it to look impeccable for the episode, but not quite there yet with her own application skills. When Rhett had opened the door, Link didn’t so much as glance in his direction, clearly lost in her own thoughts.

“Everything okay?” Rhett questioned, leaning against the counter next to her.

Still not looking away from her own reflection, Link asked, “Do you still think this is a good idea?”

Rhett’s heart sank with worry. If he were being honest, he was shocked when he had convinced Link to go through with this plan so easily. He thought it would have been at least a few more weeks before this moment had arrived, yet here they were. He was terrified that Link was going to back out and that this would never happen despite the fact that, for her health and wellbeing, Link needed it to. “Of course I do,” Rhett said honestly. Just as he had told Link before, he was beyond willing to handle any of the potential effects of this.

Link nodded slowly, chewing on her bottom lip. After a few moments of silence, she finally said, “Okay,” and turned away from the mirror. “Okay. I… No. I can’t. Rhett, I’m not ready,” she said. Her brave face quickly disappeared and was replaced with one of terror. She’d learned over the years that she didn’t need to put up a facade for Rhett.

Rhett wrapped his arms around Link’s frame and squeezed firmly yet gently. He didn’t want to push her if she wasn’t ready. It was never his intent to force her into this. That being said, however, he had been watching Link disintegrate under the pressure of keeping her identity a secret from the masses and the resulting dysphoria that it caused. It was torture for not only Link, but for Rhett as well, having to witness Link’s suffering. He just wanted her to be happy. And he knew— or, he hoped— that this would be the solution.

“I think you are ready, Link,” Rhett said in a gentle tone. “I think you’re more than ready, but you’re scared.”

Link was silent.

“I’d expect you to be scared. This is a scary moment,” Rhett added.

Still, Link was silent. She knew Rhett was right. Of course he was. But she couldn’t tell him that...couldn’t bring herself to speak at all.

“But you know as well as I do that you can’t hide anymore. You can’t keep on going the way you have been.”

Link knew that Rhett was right. She knew she needed to do this. But that didn’t make the idea of it any less horrifying. She nodded slowly, trying her best to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall and mess up her makeup. “What if I can, though? I’ve made it this far,” she sniffled with a slight laugh.

“Barely,” Rhett gently teased, patting her on the back. He reached over to the tissue box sitting near them on the counter and pulled a couple out, giving them to Link. “Not to rush you, but the crew is waiting. We should get going.”

“Rhett-” Link started to protest.

“You know I’m gonna be right there with you, holding your hand,” Rhett reassured. “Metaphorically.”

“Why?” Link asked.

“Why what?”

“Why metaphorically?” she pressed.

Rhett raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You want me to hold your hand during the episode?” He didn’t think Link would be ready for any sort of PDA, regardless of how minimal, on the show. But if it was what she needed to get through the episode, he had no problem with it.

“Please?”

“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Rhett chuckled.

After giving Link another moment to gather herself, the couple walked hand in hand out of the dressing room, and through the halls of the studio. Link stopped quickly halfway to the set, freezing.

“What’s wrong?” Rhett asked, worried that Link was once again about to try to back out. However, when he looked down, he saw that Link was smiling.

“Nothing’s wrong, bo,” she said.

Rhett couldn’t help but grin at the nickname. It’d been too long since he’d heard it. “Then why’d you stop?”

With a slight blush forming on her cheeks, Link asked, “Do you think, uh… Can tonight be the night?”

Rhett raised a brow and questioned, “The night for what?”

“To get intimate,” Link clarified, not looking directly at Rhett anymore.

“Oh. Oh, gosh. Do you think you’re ready for that?” Rhett could feel his hands growing sweaty with nervous energy. That was the last thing he had expected Link to say, and it certainly seemed like a lot for one single day.

“If I can get through this, then yeah. I’m ready,” she said with a smile.

Rhett relaxed slightly, enough to reciprocate the expression. He sighed softly and licked his lips, nodding. “If… If you think it’s time, then okay.”

Link placed a hand on the back of Rhett’s neck in order to pull him down just enough to place a gentle kiss on his lips. “I do,” she said.

With that, Link kept walking, towing Rhett along with her. Soon enough, the pair entered the set and the crew applauded their arrival, excitement in the air. Everyone was giving Link sincere words of encouragement as she and Rhett sat in their respective seats behind their desk. Link couldn’t help but smile a soft smile before making eye contact with Rhett, who was nodding in wordless reassurance. They kept their hands under the desk seeing as they were still holding each other tight.

Rhett squeezed Link’s quickly before saying, “All the equipment is good to go, right?”

A few crew members flashed thumbs-up, signalling that they were ready to go. Rhett looked to Link, who nodded. “I’m ready,” she said, only half telling the truth. She’d never be ready. But that was okay. She didn’t need to be. She probably never would.

In the corner of the room, behind the cameras, Stevie counted down.

Rhett took a deep, anticipatory breath, and Link chewed on her lip anxiously.

Stevie signaled with her hand a motion that had come to mean, “Action.”

Link gulped, but then, somehow masking her nerves, stated in a loud, eager voice, “I’m a trans woman.”

Rhett smiled, incredibly proud of Link and the big step that she had just taken. This was the beginning of a new chapter in her life, in both of their lives, and he couldn’t be more excited for it. “Let’s talk about that!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!! My apologies for taking over TWO YEARS to write this jfc... I have no idea where the time has gone... Hopefully you all enjoyed the journey! As always, feedback is much appreciated ♥♥


End file.
